Small Wonder
by Attractiontotheinsane1976
Summary: Tony thought he'd seen the worst. Turns out he's barely scratched the surface. When Thor arrives at Stark Tower with a crumbled bundle in vague resemblance of a person, no one is prepared for what follows. And what that may mean.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the first work I have ever posted and I apologize in advance if it's terrible. That being said, I decided to try writing fanfiction for two reasons:_ _1)It's fun, and_ _2)I hope it will help me obtain at least some skills I need for original work, which I'm trying very hard to complete successfully._ _I write angst and hurt/comfort very well, so there will be quite a bit of that in this work. Not that there won't be fluff too, of course. I don't have an exact plot laid out, so I am very open to all of the suggestions you have. I may not use all of them, but I will try my best._ _Lastly, I have to give warnings. I tend to get quite descriptive, and when it comes to violence, illness, and such things, that may disturb people. If you can't stomach gorey detail, please don't read my work. Also, in the event that I employ a situation you are uncomfortable with or actions that you are offended by, please don't comment rudely. I try to treat every person and every subject with kindness and respect. Please understand that. Thank you._ _Also, please note that this same work is posted on the website "Archiveofourown". They saw it first._ _And now, back to your regularly scheduled program._

He could take it.

The sight was terrifying.

But he could take it.

Thor sat on the sofa, tenderly cradling that long-limbed body in his lap like a child. He was stroking down matted, black curls gently, which blocked any view there was to be had of that bashed, bloody face. The prone figure was wrapped in Thor's once scarlet cape, gone brown with blood. Soft whimpers of pain were muffled against Thor's chest. One pale hand that appeared to have been crushed hung limp over Thor's shoulder.

Bruce and Steve exited the elevator, rolling a stretcher to where Thor sat. Thor did not want to relinquish his hold, but after Bruce explained the benefits of lying straight when most of one's bones are broken, he complied. But when he laid the trembling form on the soft sheet and let go, a screech tore through room. Bony fingers clutched Thor's sleeve weakly, refusing to let loose.

Thor removed the hand with little effort and held it between his own. "It's alright, brother," he said, in a quiet voice unusual for him. "I shall not leave you."

And that was it. He'd tried hard, so hard to not leave the beaten body without an identity. This couldn't be a person. This couldn't be someone heknew.

This couldn't beLoki.

But it was. Loki. God of mischief. Trickster. Silver-tongue.

Strong. Intelligent. Proud.

Broken. Bleeding.

"Brother!"

Having a seizure.

And when Loki's head suddenly turned toward him, one visible eye wide and a trickle of red leaving his lips, Tony Stark could no longer take it.

And no small wonder.

His stomach flipped. He had no choice but to heave. When he finished, he realized that Bruce had sedated Loki. As Steve wheeled the stretcher back to the elevator, Tony- breathless- growled rather than spoke:

"Whoever did this? Yeah, they're gonna die."


	2. Chapter 2

Tony was drunk. Very drunk. It hadn't been his intention, but he was all the same.

It started with just one drink. Of course it did, it always did. But he hadn't meant tokeepdrinking. He'd meant tostop.

Only, every time he had a thought about what happened that afternoon, he had to pour another glass to make it go away. And it kept coming back. Eventually, he stopped wasting time taking shots and drank straight from the bottle.

Now he sat with no more whiskey and no coordination to successfully open another bottle. And no way to stop thinking about Loki.

He almost felt betrayed that he had this much empathy for the kid, after all he'd done. But then, it wasn't like Tony was perfect. And what if his captors had disliked him just a little more, what if they were just a little more violent? He could've ended up just like Loki.

No, not just like Loki. No one would have rescued Tony. He would have died.

If he had known that, by sending Loki back to Asgard, he was dooming him to this? He would never have let it happen. There wasn't a soul in the Universe that deserved this kind of punishment, this kind of torture. Tony figured that the big, scary Space Viking people would just put their wayward prince in solitary confinement for a while.

Not starve and neglect him until they felt like kicking the crap out of him.

Thor claimed to know nothing about Loki's treatment until recently, when he'd finally got sick of being told no and went to visit Loki. He'd been immediately repulsed and broke Loki out of prison, bringing him here. He didn't know why Loki was being treated that way, and was afraid his brother would soon perish.

And apparently breaking a criminal out of jail, especially a high-ranking one, was treason in Space Viking land. So there was that.

Tony slammed his bottle on the table suddenly and got up. He stumbled gracelessly to the elevator and directed it to take him to the infirmary floor. He scraped his side on the door frame when he exited, but he didn't much care. He threw open the door without even caring and almost fell down face first onto the white, tiled floor.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Steve asked, looking up from his seat next to Thor. Who was still holding Loki's hand.

"I wan...I wanna see'm," Tony slurred.

Bruce looked at him as well. "You're drunk, Tony."

"Ssso what?"

"So turn around and go sleep it off. You're only going to cause trouble."

"N'causin any trouble." He made over to the other side of Loki's bed and put his hand on Loki's head as carfully as he could. "See?"

Of course, Loki chose that moment to snap awake.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't what he expected. Tony was waiting. Waiting for Loki to freak. To scream. Maybe even try to push him away with his good arm. He didn't, however. And that frightened Tony. He found himself starring into a pair of green eyes, regarding him curiously. Tony got the impression that he was trying to decide whether or not he was real. With one eye nearly swollen shut by an ugly bruise and the other fighting through exhaustion to stay open, it made the entire situation that much sadder.

But perhaps that was just the alcohol talking.

Suddenly, something seemed to hit Loki like an invisible blow. The eye that could widen did, and his cracked lips parted as though to speak. No actual words left them- only a wheezy, whining sound, like someone with a damaged throat. Actually, that was probably accurate.

He was really trying to get words out, Tony realized. And was becoming increasingly distressed at the fact he couldn't.

He tried, not to pull his less-injured arm away from Thor, but to move the currently casted one toward Tony. With little success.

Thor put his free hand on Loki's chest in an effort to still him. "Brother, please calm. You shall further injure yourself."

Loki seemed to relax some then (and since when did Loki listen to Thor?). But when Tony looked down, one of Loki fingers on his broken hand was still twitching. He was still trying to move it.

And why Tony did what he did next, he couldn't say. It was an impulse he had no time to think about. Not that he could think clearly anyhow.

He took his hand and placed it on top of Loki's. Loki immediately stilled. His expression became...peaceful?

Tony could've died.


	4. Chapter 4

Drunk as he was, he had no way to really think about the situation. He didn't know what else to do. Panic took over and the only thing he could think was:

"HolyfuckIcalmapsychopathImgonnadie!"

So he ran. He darted out the door and into the elevator before anyone could blink. When he reached the penthouse, he collapsed on the couch face down. It felt like he'd only lay there a second before he could hear Jarvis suddenly speak.

"Sir, Doctor Banner would like you to be informed that Mr. Laufeyson has had another seizure."

"Mmmuuuhhh..." Tony groaned.

"Mr. Odinson believes your sudden departure badly distressed Mr. Laufeyson. Doctor Banner concers."

"Mnnnhhh..."

"Sir, if I may?"

"Jarvis, if you're trying to make me feel worse..."

"Not at all, sir. I merely wish to inform you that, taking into account Mr. Laufeyson's current physical state, his mind may not be functioning on it's normal capacity. He's clearly suffering from great trauma to say the least..."

"J, not helping."

"...And it may help for him to be in a more comfortable environment and have constant engagement with familiar people."

"Are you saying that Loki is attention starved and staying in a sterile, white room all day with nothing to do but be poked with needles and stare at Thor probably isn't helping him?"

"In short, yes."

Tony sat up and ran his hand down his face. "Well, then I guess there's only one thing to do. Order some new furniture for Pep's old room. If Loki needs to be in a more comfortable environment, then I can arrange that. Tell Bruce to set up some equipment. Loki's moving into the penthouse."


	5. Chapter 5

_!Warning!_ _This fiction now portrays the pregnancy of an intersex character largely perceived as male. If you find that this bothers you, please cease to read this fiction immediately._

The bed was covered in so many blankets and pillows that Tony had to look very closely to see Loki's head, the only part of his body not covered. His inky black hair, freshly washed, framed around his skeletal face as it rested on a stack of at least three fluffy pillows. He was sleeping naturally now, and gods knew he needed it. Though Tony could hardly believe how, what with those noisy machines barely two feet away. 'Poor, exhausted, little bastard.'

Now that Loki had been moved to Pepper's old rooms, which were as warm and comfortable as money could buy- with the new green, gold, and black, medieval theme just for him- maybe he would become a bit more mentally lucid. Bruce was worried that Loki was losing a grip on his sense of reality "because isolation alone can twist the brain up like an unsolved Rubik's cube" and needed all the anchoring he could get.

Tony would do whatever he could, that was for sure. But what Loki really needed more than anything else was Thor, a constant in his life since infancy. An ages-old rock for him to cling to.

And, to give Thor credit, he barely left Loki's side. He constantly held his hand, even in sleep, and spoke to him softly during Loki's brief bouts of semi-consciousness. At one moment, Thor had went to use the bathroom. A short period during which Loki had woken and, frightened and confused, began keening for Thor. Thor had immediately rushed in and embraced his little brother, holding him until he was asleep once again.

'Wow', Tony thought. 'Thor really loves the guy.'

As he sat there, watching Thor watch a sleeping Loki with that weird, brotherly loveness, his thoughts were broken by a tentive knock on the door. It opened a few seconds later and Bruce's head peeked around it.

"Hey, Tony?" he whispered.

"Hmm?" Tony replied.

"I, uh... I need to talk to you for a second. It's important."

Tony got up and left the room, shutting the door as he followed Bruce into the hall.

"What's up, Brucie?"

"I have some news about... Loki's condition."

"Alright..."

Bruce raked a nervous hand through his hair. "Tony, you know how Loki's physiology is a little... different? How his anatomy is a little bizzare?"

Tony nodded. "You mean, how he's got all of the reproductive parts instead of just half?"

Bruce rubbed his face with his hand. "Yes. "

"Okay, so...?"

"Well, he, umm... I don't how we're gonna tell Thor, he'll commit mass destruction, but... Loki..."

"Out with it, Bruce."

Bruce exhaled deeply."Loki's pregnant."

Oh yeah, Tony was going to Asgard. And he was going to kill.


	6. Chapter 6

_!WARNING!_ _This chapter references non-con. If this bothers you, please cease reading immediately._

"So," Tony stated grimly. "How are we gonna do this?"

He sat at the table in the common kitchen, across from Steve with Bruce on his right. They told Thor that they were just having lunch and had asked if he wanted to join them. He said no, they had known he would. He wouldn't leave Loki's bedside for a sandwich.

Still, it made them feel a little better by having invited him, even if they knew from the start that he would decline. Tony made note to bring him a big steak dinner with lots of gravy and a whole cherry pie later, he would like that. He'd ask Steve to make some kind of soup for Loki, too. Bruce said it would be good for him, even if he only managed a spoonful. He had a drip, but he needed fat in a serious "I've hardly eaten anything in three years" kind of way.

Tony couldn't say it enough: poor Loki. And mini-Loki.

Which brought him back to reality.

Bruce was picking at a loose thread in his sweater. "I think Steve should talk to Thor," he said quietly.

Steve looked at him incredulously. "Me? Why me?"

Tony put down his coffee mid-sip and looked Bruce dead in the eye. "Yeah, why him?"

"Well," Bruce began, wiping off an imaginary smudge on the table, "I can be... very volatile. And Tony isn't exactly known for his tact."

"Are you saying I have a big mouth?"

"Well...Yes."

"Can't argue with that." He picked his coffee mug back up and gave a quick smile around it's rim as he drank.

Bruce shook his head and sighed, then looked back at Steve. "Anyway, don't worry about the technical stuff. I'll give you a status report. Just... You know Thor's going to be upset. I don't exactly have all of the details, but... Given his condition... He didn't just give himself up."

Tony sat his mug down again a little more forcefully than he meant to, drops of coffee splattering the table. "What was your first clue? The fractured pelvis or the torn tissue that I can't even begin to unsee? How 'bout that huge black eye, huh? Or his hand? Poor kid'll be real lucky if he can ever move his fingers again! Oh, and his spine? Don't even try to sugar-coat the healing rate of that little injury! Hell, why should we be careful about this? If Thor wants to go to Asgard and bash in the heads of the sick bastards that did this, more power to him! I'll go help him, damn it!"

"Tony!" Steve cried. "Why-!"

"Don't even start, Captain Spangles. You know, I was all for Loki getting punished after what he did here. But this? This isn't punishment, it's cruelty. We're supposed to be superheroes. Shouldn't we fight this?"

Bruce was still stomping down the green when he finally spoke again. "Honestly? I'd like nothing more. But we've got to keep our heads. Violence started this, it won't end it."

"And Loki needs Thor right now," continued Steve. "He needs to stay with his baby brother, at least for now. And so do we."

Tony took a deep breath and covered his face with his hands. "...You're right. Fine." He stood up. "Let's go break the knews to Point-Break, Stars n' Stripes. I at least want in on this."


	7. Chapter 7

"Friend Stark, good Captain..." Thor said as Tony and Steve situated themselves on the couch across from him. "What is it that you wish to discuss? I cannot risk being away from my brother long."

"I know, big guy," said Tony as he pulled out his tablet, loading up the information they needed. "Bruce upped his sedative a little, he won't wake up while. We know you want to stay with him, but we don't want him to hear this. Not yet."

Thor's brow furrowed. "What do you not wish for him to hear? This is about his condition, is it not?"

"Yeah, but..." Tony suddenly found that the right words escaped him. He didn't want to end up a bloody stain on the floor if he misspoke. "Steve, maybe you should handle this."

Steve looked significantly less nervous, but no less happy than Tony as he prepared for the blow. "Thor... There's something important you need to know about Loki. You see... Someone did a very terrible thing to him, on top of everything else, and now..." He swallowed hard.

"Thor, Loki is pregnant."

The moment those words past Steve's lips, Tony closed his eyes and prepared for the shock. The horror. The fury. The destruction of all of his new furniture.

But it never came.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Thor leaning forward with his head in his hands. He sighed and rubbed his face. "...By the Norns, damn their foul, wretched souls to Helheim..."

Tony was never more confused. "Shouldn't you, I don't know... Be throwing a fit of rage right now?"

Thor shook his head. "My anger knows no bounds, certainly. I will crush their bones into dust when at first I have the chance. ...However, I have had my suspicions that Loki was with child. I cannot say it is a shock."

Tony was nearly dumbfounded. "...What?"

"I have long since known of Loki's ability to bear children. He would not like me telling you of my discovery, so I shall not disclose it. As for my suspicions..." And with that, his became so dark that it truely frightened Tony to look at it. "The prisons of Asgard are not well governed. The guards do as they please with the prisoners, why wouldn't they? The prisoners have no rights. The guard who aided in my rescue of Loki told me that Loki was the reward of their hard work. They strung him up by his chains and only the highest ranking of them could touch him. He was... tortured however they wanted in front of everyone, helpless to fight." He stood up suddenly. "I have no interest in knowing more of my brother's humiliation, friend Stark. I must return to my brother. And his unborn."

Thor stalked back into the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Tony and Steve to stare at each other.

"Well," said Tony. "I didn't see that coming."


	8. Chapter 8

He must be dreaming. That's all this was. A dream. The comforting softness surrounding him was not real. The gentle words whispered in his ear were not real. The large, firm hand holding his was not real.

It was not real. And yet, it would not disappear.

He felt himself drift in the blackness, barely able to brush the surface. He heard voices around him, some familiar and some not. He knew he must have opened his eyes at some point, but he could not remember seeing a face. He concluded he had finally been thrown to the point of no return and did not have the strength to swim back. He would soon pass from this life and this delusion would fade away.

Only, that never happened.

This must be some new, clever form of torture. They would provide him luxury and when he grew comfortable, they would rip it away from him. And he knew he lacked the strength to deny them their satisfaction. He would have to succumb.

He decided to focus on the feeling while he had it. He no longer felt the deep, agonizing pain throbbing through out his body. It had been reduced to little more than a dull ache he barely registered. His senses felt foggy, as the his brain function was now the speed of a snail. Mostly, he felt numbed.

Except that he could feel a gigantic hand wrapped around his own quite clearly. Down to the creases. The calloused thumb rubbed the back of his hand slowly. It made him feel calm in some odd way.

Then he noticed another feeling. It wasn't pain, not pleasure. It was a pressure under his stomach, as though someone had put a small weight inside his abdomen. It was peculiar, but he could not discern exactly why.

And then it pulsed. All of his previous thoughts screeched to a sudden hault. He reached out to it.

He was met with another force pushing back on him. Another conscience met him halfway, as though it had reached out to him at the same time he had to it. It had, in fact. His magic, what little he had, had pooled around the little weight. The little conscience. Protecting it. And he knew what that meant.

He fell into a sudden panic. This couldn't be! It couldn't! Surely they knew! What would they do?! They would take it! They would stab him through and take it! He couldn't let them do it! He wouldn't! He wouldn't!! He wouldn't!!!

"Brother!" Thor cried as he watched Loki convulse. His baby brother's skin was like snow, sparkling with a sheen of sweat. His big, green eyes were opened wide in utter terror. His lips parted and trembled as he tried desperately to speak. "Dear brother, please calm! You are hurting yourself!"

The door burst open and Bruce, followed closely by Tony and Steve, rushed in.

Bruce, seeing Loki's state, immediately made for the sedative. Tony and Steve simply froze.

In a sudden burst of strength, Loki tore his un-casted arm away from Thor and clutched his stomach. And the first words he had spoken in years left his lips in nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

"You can't... take her..." he croaked. "Ssshe's mine."

Then he lie limp.

"Dear Lord, he knows..." Steve sighed.

"Of course he knows," Tony groaned. "He's got another life force living inside of him. If anybody knew, I'd think it would be him. I don't know how you thought you could keep it a secret."

Steve gawked. "You agreed!"

"That was to make you happy! I knew it wouldn't work! He's already ten weeks, Cap! If we can tell by looking at him that he's pregnant, so can he!"

"Well, what are we going to do now?"

"Now..." Tony shook his head. "I don't think there's much we can do. Just... Keep 'm comfortable."

"Comfortable... right. I can do that. But, Tony... He thought... He thought we were them. That we were going to... take his baby. What can we..."

"He's traumatized, Cap. I just... I don't know."


	9. Chapter 9

Tony pushed the large box forward a little more and paused to rest. Suddenly, Steve's blue sneakers came into his line of sight.

"Tony," said Steve, eyeing him wearily, "what's in the box?"

Tony shoved the large, cardboard box a few more inches forward, then stopped. "Y'know," he shrugged. "Stuff."

"Stuff?" Steve repeated.

"Yeah, stuff. For Loki."

"For Loki? What kind of stuff?"

"Gods, Cap. When did you become such a dad? It's just some things I thought he might like, y'know? I spent all day yesterday compiling it. And I needed some time to think."

"So that's what you were up to. Loki got down some soup yesterday, if someone didn't already tell you. He spit a little back up, but he managed to keep most of it down. I think he was a bit upset that you didn't come visit. He seems to like you."

"You mean he got over the freak out? Just like that?"

"Well... Bruce want's to talk to you about that."

"He does?"

"Yeah. Um... Listen, I don't think he even remembers his episode. When he woke up, he recognized us and didn't get upset. And he hasn't really spoken anymore. It's... I don't know. I really don't. But he's kept his hand on his stomach since then. Thor says he's bonding with the baby. That's good, right?"

"Yeah..." Tony said quietly, thinking. "Yeah, I guess..."

"So, uh..." Steve scratched his head. "Do you need some help with that box?"

"Oh," Tony replied, shaking his head. "Yeah, sure."

Steve stooped down and picked up the box with ease, walking off in the direction of the elevator.

Tony gaped. "That is so not fair."

Steve just shrugged.

The ride up to the penthouse took mere seconds. When they reached the floor, Tony made a beeline for Loki's suite. The lounge area was virtually the same as it had been, just cleaned and rearranged a little. It had the same stiff, white couch, the same silver curtains, and the same modern flair that all of the rooms had. Tony needed to change that. But since Loki was currently bedridden, it could wait. Perhaps he'd want to do the decorating himself.

When they reached the door, Tony knocked. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Bruce in his scratchy-looking, purple sweater. "Hey," he said, smiling a little.

Tony and Steve entered the room, Steve setting down the box and Tony closing the door. "Hi," Tony replied. "What'cha up to?"

"Well, I just introduced Loki to the television." He pointed to the large, flat screen on the opposite wall currently displaying a Peanuts cartoon.

"Oh, hey!" Tony exclaimed. "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving! I havn't seen this in ages!"

He looked over at Loki, who was propped up against his pile of fluffy pillows with one hand resting on his stomach and the other swallowed up by Thor's giant fingers. He didn't look much better to Tony, except that he seemed far more alert. And the cornners of his thin, pale lips were twisted upward. Eyes focused on the screen, he didn't appear to realize he had visters.

"Hey there, kiddo!" Tony said cheerfully, approaching the bed. "How ya doing, Snowflake?"

Loki turned to look at Tony, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. The hand that rested on his stomach was his casted one and Tony could see his long fingers twitching once again in a vain attempt to move his arm. This time, Tony sat down on the edge of the bed put his hand over Loki's. Loki settled instantly.

"Listen, Snow White," Tony continued in a soft tone. "I don't know why you like me so much, but I gotta tell you: it's very flattering."

Loki only responded by leaning his head on Tony's shoulder, his black curls pushing up under Tony's nose when he turned.

"Oh. Okay, then. I see how it is. You only want me for a pillow? Those other ones not good enough for you, huh?"

Loki glanced up in the direction of Tony's voice briefly, his lips quirking.

He looked over at Thor, who was looking at him strangely. "Friend Stark," he whispered. "When my brother retires, you and I must speak."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, apparently Bruce needs to talk too. Alright, conference call at naptime."

He could already guess what they both had to say.


	10. Chapter 10

A cartoon-and-a-half later, Loki was sleeping soundly. Steve volunteered to stay with him while Bruce and Thor talked with Tony in the lounge. Tony promised to fill him in later.

Now Tony sat in a chair opposite to that siff, white couch, waiting. "So, who wants to go first?" he asked, relaxing back on the upholstery.

Bruce raised his hand slightly. "I will. I, uh..." He adjusted his glasses. "I ran some more tests. You know, on Loki's injuries. I discovered something... I couldn't believe it at first, but... I think you've noticed how strange Loki has been acting. He's not at all like the Loki from the invasion. Well, it turns out that there's a good reason for that."

Tony nodded. "Go on..."

"Thor told me that this Loki is like the old Loki."

Tony's brow furrowed. "The old Loki?" he repeated.

"I didn't know what he was talking about at first, either. Until he explained."

"I make reference to my brother in childhood, ever before he became bitter and vengeful," said Thor, his eyes shining with distance and saddness. "He was once very kind and sweet. He cared much for me, and select others. There was no spite in his mischief. The sparkle in his eyes faded away with time... But I see it again." He smiled a little, then. "His hate, dare I say... is no longer present within him. At least, against me and you, my friends."

"And that's when I knew something wasn't right," said Bruce. "Well, worse than usual. So, I started to look things over again. It turns out that Loki has a small crack across his skull that I didn't see at first. His bones are dense. He had to be hit pretty hard. Hard enough to cause brain damage."

Tony sat up straight, no longer feeling comfortable. "You mean..."

Bruce reajusted himself in his own seat. "I'm certain at this point that he has suffered damage to his frontal and temporal lobes. Unless his magic can reverse it by itself, it's most likely permanent. I don't know how deep the damage is yet. That's something we'll have to address with time."

"Ah, man... I knew something was wrong, but... Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I knew there had to be a good reason why he'd angrily throw me out of the window the first time we had a conversation lasting more than ten secands, and... wanted me to hold his hand the next time he saw me. Any idea how long he's had that head wound?"

Bruce took a deep breath and sighed. "A while, it looks like."

"Do you think... Is that gonna affect his kid?"

"It's too soon to tell, really. Not much, I hope. For now, treat him gently, but get him to engage with you as much as you can. He needs to keep interacting."

"I'm on it, Doc! No problem!" He turned to Thor, who'd been uncharacteristicly silent. "So, what did you want to talk about, Hammer Time?"

"I merely wish to say..." Thor began, "my brother is growing attached to you. And I do not now know if this is healthy for him in his current state. He finds comfort in your presence, something I do not fully understand yet. If he continues to want you by his side, I expect that you treat him with kindness. It is my only stipulation, for he is my little brother and I would not see him made upset."

Tony nodded. "Will do." He stood up, itching to be done with this discussion. "I'm going to go see if Sleeping Beauty is awake. I've got some presents for him."

When Tony reentered Loki's room, Loki was in fact awake once more. Tony went for the box and cut it open with his keys. "There's some things in here for you, Lokes," he said. Thor and Bruce came in behind him, but he barely noticed. He looked over to Steve. "You mind giving me a hand?"

"Sure thing," said Steve. He traded places with Thor and picked up the open box, placing it on the edge of the bed, near the little bumps in the blanket that could only be Loki's feet.

"Thanks, Cap," said Tony, reaproaching the box. He smiled when he saw Loki's head leaning forward in interest. If his back hadn't been hurt, Tony knew he would've gotten as close to the box as he could.

"I thought you might like to have some stuff of your own, Snowflake," Tony continued. "So I tried to find some things I thought you'd like."

He began pulling objects out of the box then. He started with clothes. "Everybody needs clothes, but you especially need them. You know, since you moved in without any. I didn't really know what kind of 'midgardian' clothes you'd wear, but I know your favorite colour is green and I figured you'd care a little more about comfort than fashion right now. So..." He held up a dark green, v-necked t-shirt and black, soft-looking pants. "I got you more of these in different colours. You can mix 'em up. And..."

He took out a pair of shiney, black shoes next. "You'll probably want to get out of that bed at some point, so I got you some shoes. Even if you can't walk, most places still require them. These have Velcro straps, so you don't have to tie them. I also got you socks. And some pyjamas. There's even some Iron Man ones in there, thought you might like that."

Loki cracked a crooked sort of smile. Good, his humor was intact.

Tony reached back into the box. "I know I might be jumping the gun, but I got this for the baby." He pulled out a little, pink blanket with a white bear wearing a bow switched into it. "It'll, y'know, keep her warm."

Loki looked at the blanket curiously for a moment, then reached for it. Thor stood and took it, giving it to him. Loki draped it across his stomach and smiled.

"That's not exactly the way you're supposed to do it, but sure."

After that, Tony took out a few more things: a couple of stuffed animals, some books, hairties. Loki continued to pay attention, but Tony knew that the blanket had really won him over. He looked sweet with it laying on his belly, anyhow.

When Loki fell asleep again, Thor mentioned that he was going up to Asgard soon. Tony's good mood nearly doubled.


	11. Chapter 11

Thor left for Asgard early the next morning. Loki did not want him to go, but Thor managed to convince him that he would return soon. That he would return at all.

He'd kissed Loki's head, said his goodbyes, and made his way up to the roof of the tower to call for the bifrost. Moments later, the swirling colors of the rainbow bridge were beneath his feet and a dark, gold-clad figure standing before him.

"Prince Thor, welcome," Heimdal's voice boomed.

Thor strolled forward. "Greetings, Heimdal. I wish to speak with-"

Heimdal interrupted. "I am aware."

Thor nodded. "Of course. In that case, I will speak to my father." Thor began to make his way across the bridge.

As he went, he heard Heimdal call, "Beware, my liege! The enemy shall make to deceive!"

Deception. Thor had had enough. He had been deceived when he'd been told that Loki would be treated fairly. He had been deceived when he'd been told that Loki was well. He had been deceived when he'd been told that Loki did not desire to see him. He would not be deceived again.

The image of Loki lying on the floor of his cell- bleeding, broken, helpless, crying without tears or a voice because he had none left- pushed it's way to the front of his mind and stuck there. It fueled his brewing rage as he pushed his way past the guards and stormed through the palace halls, ignoring all who tried to garner his attention. When he reached the throne room, he threw the doors open in what was now blameless fury.

"Father!" Thor cried as he entered.

Odin stood. "Thor. You have returned from the company of the mortals so soon? Do they bore you already?"

"No! I have come on urgent business! There is a grave matter we must discuss!"

Odin seemed rather disinterested. "What is it, then?"

Thor lowered his voice, trying to calm himself enough to speak. "I wish to speak of Loki. Father, what exactly was his punishment?"

Odin remained stone-faced. "You know of Loki's punishment, Thor," he replied.

"Enlighten me." Thor almost spat it.

Odin's features were still schooled. "If he were anyone else, Loki would have been executed for his crimes. But, as he was a member of the royal family and many of his offenses were not committed on Asgard, he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life alone in a cell. But you know this already."

Thor took this in stride. "So... It was not within his final sentencing mentioned that he would be starved? Or forbidden to bathe? Or beaten?" He paused, looking Odin in the eye with a burning glare. "Or defiled so brutally that scars remain thereafter?"

Odin's eye twitched. "What is the meaning of this?"

Thor did not back down. "These are the things that have befallen my brother, your son! He's hurt and suffering!"

"How could you possibly know this?"

"Because I was tired of being denied his presence! I went to his cell, and when I saw him... He was dying! I could not bear it! I could cradle him in my arms as though he were but a babe! Any longer there, and he would have perished! Now, he is in the care of my friends!"

"He escaped?!" Odin roared. "Why wasn't I alerted? He must be returned at once to face his punishment!!"

Thor couldn't believe it. Had his father not heard him? Did he not care that Loki had nearly died "serving his punishment"?

Had Loki been right all along? Well, it served Thor right for thinking any different. But that did not stop Thor from being angry. "No!! I cannot return him!!"

"You would commit treason!? You would dare disobey me for the sake of a lowly criminal!?"

"No!!" Hot, salty tears escaped Thor's eyes, his face reddened in boiling rage. "I disobey you because he is my brother!! I love him, even if you do not!! You think him a rogue pawn that you can simply cast aside, but he is my little brother, always and forever!! But even if I did not feel this way, I still could not bring him back!"

"And why not?!"

Thor could not stop himself in time from blurting it out. "Because he is with child!!!"

Odin, despite his efforts, looked taken aback. "How... How could this be?!"

Thor tried to calm himself. "You know very well how it could be. His horrible wounds, some of which may never heal, speak for themselves. I have seen his painful suffering and... and I have heard the heartbeat of his unborn child! You cannot say he deserves this! And I have come here, not to ask, but to demand justice for him!"

Odin was about to reply, when the doors behind Thor suddenly opened and Heimdal strode in. "I'm afraid that your quest for justice has become more difficult, my leige."

Thor whipped around. "Why?"

"Because he who has committed this dishonor has fled to Midgard."

"How's the patient today, Doc?" Tony asked as he walked into the common kitchen, going straight for coffee he knew early-bird Steve had brewed.

Bruce sat the table, going over papers while eating one of his discustingly good vegan danishes. He replied, "He's in good spirits, which is something I never thought I'd say about Loki. Last I checked, he was watching more cartoons with Steve and sipping on a milkshake through a bendy straw."

Tony nearly laughed. "Oh Gods, a bendy straw?"

"Yeah, he liked the swirls... Listen Tony, I plan to start preliminary testing on Loki's brain injury today."

"Oh yeah?" Tony took a sip of his coffee. "How do you think that's going to go?"

"To be honest? I don't know. He seems to be comprehensive enough. He knows things like 'spoons are for eating food that isn't solid' and 'ice makes things cold'. But he's obviously not in his right mind. And he's completely undisturbed by the fact that there's a tiny creature living in his abdomen, like it's always been there."

"Geez, you make it sound like he has a harmful parasite, not that he's pregnant. Clearly though, he loves that baby, no matter if he knows how it got there or not. Frankly, that's something I'm perfectly okay with him not knowing."

"This isn't healthy for him, Tony."

"If he's happy, does it matter? Heal his physical injuries and let him be sappy, non-angry Loki for a while. Does he really need more memories of when he hurt people and people hurt him back? Let him live without that part of his life."

"He's already starting to remember Tony, you can't-"

Suddenly, the whole building shook. Steve's voice immediately came over the intercom.

"Guys, what's going on?!"

"Sir, I detect a struggle on the landing zone," Jarvis alerted. "There is an unknown presence."

"Stay with Loki, Cap," said Tony. "We'll take care of this. Jarvis, deploy the suit."


	12. Chapter 12

Suit deployed, Tony rushed in the direction of the launchpad with a bad feeling nawing at the pit of his stomach. He didn't know for sure what he'd find, but he had an idea about what to expect. It definitely wasn't good.

When he finally reached the landing zone, he froze. He stood in front of the window, watching Big Bro, himself, hashing it out with someone that Tony didn't recognize.

Mystery Man was tall, but he was little more than half the bulk of Thor. He looked well-to-do with his fancy uniform, neatly combed, blond hair, and a well-groomed mustache.

And Thor was definitely not happy with him. Was this the guy?

Tony sure hoped so.

He threw open the glass door and shot upward, hovering above the fight. "Hey, what'd I miss?" he said through his suit.

"Do not intervene, friend Stark!" Thor shouted, still focused on Mystery Man. "This man has dishonored my brother, personally brought him harm, and attempted to fool me in the process! A man I once thought a friend! We must duel!"

So it is the guy! And he used to be Thor's friend? Ouch.

"Not intervene? Do you even know me, Big Guy? No, if this guy hurt Loki then I'm kicking his ass!"

Mystery Man finally looked up at Tony. "I would like to see you try, Metal Man! And to avenge that worthless runt? You must be mad!"

"Mad's not even close, Prince Charming. Your interpretation or mine. And Loki is not worthless, I don't care what you say. That kid's got the greatest spirit, not even your heavy-lifting ass can break it. Bend it 'till it's out of shape, maybe- but not break."

Just then, Thor threw a punch. "The Man of Iron is right!! How could you do this?! He was your friend!!"

Thor's fist collided with Mystery Man's jaw, but he didn't seem to be fazed much. "Youwere my friend!" he cried. "Hewasnevermy friend!! He caused problems, that's all he was capable of doing!! Every quest we went on, he ruined it!! During our spars, he always cheated!! He knew he could never beat us, not even Sif! He used his woman's craft to best us!! It was onlyjustto call him ergi, it was certainly not an insult he didn't deserve!!"

Another punch to Mystery Man's face. Thor managed to bust the skin of his lip with this one. "Loki only tried to impress us! He was but a lonely boy! You knew he was always a sickly child! You knew he would never have the physical strength we have! And to discount his mental strength as weak?!"

"Yeah, that's pretty poor sport," Tony imputed calmly. "Just because you pushed him down on the playground and he was able to get up and push you back, you thought you had to pin him down?"

Mystery Man snapped to Tony again. "Why does it matter to you! What could the troublesome, ergi Frostgiant runt possibly mean to amortal?"

Tony had been waiting for this "You really wanna know, Prudence? I'll be honest, I haven't known Loki that long. But I can tell you that he's smart and sweet, two things he's already got on you. And being little and unmasculine are not viable insults here on Earth. Loki's dealing with some difficult stuff right now- namely, being crippled and pregnant- but he's charging through it like a champ. Speaking of which."

Without warning, Tony fired his right repulsor. Mystery Man slammed into the ground. Thor looked a little surprised. A little. "And that's just the beginning."

Just then, Tony heard Jarvis's voice in his ear. "Sir, there are two issues of which you should be alert."

Damn. "What's up, J?"

"One. It appears SHEILD has dispatched agents Barton and Romanov to this location, among a few others."

Crap.

"Two. It appears that Mr. Lafeyson is attempting to make his way in your direction. Mr. Rogers is distressing, for he cannot keep him still. Mr. Lafeyson is insisting that he leave his bed immediately."

Double crap.


	13. Chapter 13

_This work is now up to date. Please let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions, I would love to know they are. Enjoy._

Tony could see the black jet approaching in the distance. He didn't have much time.

"Stars n' Stripes, give me the low-down with Loki," Tony spoke into his helmet.

Steve's voice answered rather immediately. "I don't know what's wrong, he won't tell me. But he's reaching with his good arm and keeps trying to pull himself forward. He's in pain, but he won't stop. I think he's trying to get to you and Thor. I don't know what to do, Tony! He's hurting himself!"

If Tony were being honest, he didn't know what to do either. But he wasn't going to leave Steve hanging. "Uh... Just try to calm him down. If you have to, get him into the wheelchair and take him to another floor. That's a great idea, actually. A real brawl's about to break out in here and I don't want to risk anyone finding Loki. Just don't let anyone see you. Bruce headed to the Hulkzone, so avoid that one."

"On it!"

"Great, keep me updated."

Cutting off communication, Tony sighed. The quinjet was touching down on the roof.

"Okay," he muttered. "Let's get this over with."

Just as Mystery Man was picking himself up, Tony shot up to the roof. Four figures clad in skintight, leather suits were exiting the sleek, black jet. Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton made there way towards Tony, two nameless SHEILD agents following behind.

"What's going on Stark?" Natasha asked blandly.

"Kids!" Tony cried. "Long time, no see! Did you miss Daddy?"

Natasha remained ever expressionless. Behind her, Clint snickered. "Cut the crap, Stark. We picked up a major static energy spike from right here about twenty minutes ago. And I want to know what's happening now."

Tony lifted his faceplate. "Sheesh, Tasha. It's just Thor having it out with one of his space-buddies. They'll calm down, it's no big deal. No reason to call the cavalry."

"We're the ones who get to make that call."

Yeah," Clint added. "Last time two of these people got into a fight, an entire town was destroyed. Excuse us for being prepared."

"I want to know why they're fighting here," said Natasha. "Why didn't they just stay in Asgard?"

"How should I know?" Tony replied. "Am I Thor's keeper? Maybe they just thought this was a better setting. Maybe Thor didn't want to break his dad's kingdom."

"So he came here?" asked Clint. "Isn't he afraid of breaking us?"

"Thor wouldn't willingly put us in danger," Natasha confirmed. "So it's something else."

Tony didn't like where this was going. "Look, I really don't know. But it's just a spat, they'll get over it. We don't need SHEILD right now."

"Why are you so bent on getting rid of us?" Clint inquired. "You normally wouldn't give a rat's ass, so why do you care now?"

"Maybe I just don't want you to break my stuff for a dumb reason, huh? You guys are great at costing me money! Last time, you caused hundreds of dollars in damages with anunloadedgun alone!"

"Or there's something you don't want us to know," Natasha stated grimly.

"Yeah, you care about money," said Clint. "But notthatmuch. So what's really going on?"

Tony sighed heavily and shook his head. "I don't care if it's treason or whatever, I can't tell you. I'd be putting one- no, two helpless lives at risk and I just can't do that."

Clint gawked. "Helpless lives? God, Tony! What kind of people do you think we are? We'd never hurt somebody who's defenseless!"

"You'd hurt this one."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" asked Natasha. "Tony, there's someone dangerous here, isn't there?"

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. Oops. "That's notexactlytrue. He's not dangerous. ...Anymore."

Natasha was suddenly very close to Tony's face. "If you're hiding someone that could bring harm to the hundreds of innocent civilians down there," she pointed over the side of the roof, "then you're nothing but an accomplice. Now, I'll only ask once. Who. Are You. Hiding?"

Tony took one last stand. "I can't."

Natasha stepped back slightly. "Fine. We'll find them ourselves."

"Jarvis, code Alpha 13! Lock down!"

"Loki, please calm down," Steve said softly.

Loki continued to try to lean forward in his chair, reaching out with his long, thin arm. He whined painfully, but refused to abide to Steve's command. Steve tried to gently push him back, but Loki would have none of it. He remained persistent, despite the pain.

Steve was becoming desperate. "Loki, please! You're only hurting yourself! What's wrong? I can help you!"

Loki stopped for a moment and looked at Steve. His green eyes were glassy and tears glistened in the corners, but they sparkled with alertness. He slowly moved his hand so that his pale fingertips ghosted Steve's face. In a voice so physically weak that Steve nearly couldn't hear him, he whispered, "Danger."

And when a loud siren sounded overhead and Loki clutched his stomach, stricken with panic, Steve understood.

Well, they'd have to get through him first.


	14. Chapter 14

_It's the longest chapter to date! It's also two in the morning and I'm ready to crash, but I really wanted to get this chapter out to you guys. Hope it was worth it._ _!WARNING!_ _Non-consensual is blatantly addressed in this chapter. At the end. I just want you to know so you can get out before you get there._ _*On an unrelated note, Attraction's profile has been updated. Meaning Attraction now has one. Look, I have a personalized icon now! I feel so special! :)_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy this._

"Cap?" Tony's voice called into Steve's ear through his communication device. "Cap, you there? Cap!"

"It's okay, Loki..." Steve whispered, lightly petting Loki's hair- an action which particularly seemed to calm him down. Usually. One hand still on Loki's head, Steve clicked on his microphone.

"I'm hear, Tony," he said. "What's going on?"

"Oh, thank the Universe!! Natasha, Clint, and a couple other agents are here! And I may have said a few stupid things! They're on to us, Cap! They're looking for you and Loki!"

"Dear Lord, Tony... They know he's here?"

Loki shifted uncomfortably, knowing he was being talked about, rubbing the tiny bump of his belly anxiously.

"Not specifically him, but they know that we're hiding someone, quote 'dangerous' unquote. And by process of elimination, that you're with them. Listen, here's you need to do: take Loki down to the basement and hide in the panic room. The walls are three feet thick, I'd like to see them get through that. It'll hopefully protect you from that other guy, too. Don't come out until I say so!"

"Okay..." He stared at Loki for a moment. "Tony, maybe you can talk to Loki for a minute?"

"Yeah, but it's gotta be fast."

Steve took off his communicator and held it up for Loki to see. "Loki, this is a special device that's going to let Tony talk to you. I'm going to put it in your ear so you can hear him. He'll be able to hear you too, okay?"

Loki nodded.

Steve carefully attached the communicator to Loki, who only squirmed a little. He clicked on the microphone again, which he knew would still pick up his voice. "Okay, Tony. He can hear you."

He watched as Loki's face lit up.

"Hey, Snowflake," Tony said softly.

"...Anthony..." Loki managed to produce.

Though Loki couldn't see him, Tony smiled. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, I know things are kinda scary right now. But everything's gonna be okay, don't worry. You're gonna stay with the Captain while your brother and I take care of things up here. We'll do something nice when it's over, huh? Maybe we'll watch a movie. You like cartoons, right? I know you do. I'll even let you use me as a pillow again, you'll be nice and comfy. Just relax and let Cap take care of you. Can you do that?"

Loki closed his eyes and nodded to himself. "...Yes," he replied.

"Alright. Now, I've gotta go. I'll see you soon, Lokes."

"Farewell..."

Steve removed the communicator from Loki and reattached it to himself. Loki looked disheartened.

"Aw... Cheer up, Loki," said Steve, gently patting Loki's shoulder. "He'll be back soon. In the meantime, we need to get you someplace safer than an empty floor."

The elevator didn't go down to the panic room in case the shaft collapsed in a blast or enemies attempted to scale it, so they would have to use the emergency stairwell- which required a voice activated password to access. That meant that they had to leave Loki's wheelchair, because even Steve couldn't get it down thirty flights of steps. He cautiously arranged Loki in his arms to support his injuries as best he could, but ultimately Loki was still in pain. There was nothing Steve could do but get him down the stairs as quickly as possible so that he could rest.

Steve made his way to the stairwell, gave the password, and began the decent as soon the door opened. It closed and locked behind him. He sprinted, and every jolt caused Loki to whimper. Steve whispered the most soothing words he could think of as he rushed down to their safe haven, hoping they would comfort him. When they finally arrived, Steve uttered another password and the vaulted entrance opened.

The panic room was just as nice as the rest of the tower, but strongly reinforced. Most of the structures were made of steel. There were three rooms: a decent-sized bathroom, a living/kitchen area, and a room full of beds. They had a calming blue, silver, and white theme, not Tony's usual red and gold. It made the place more comfortable, Steve thought. Smart.

Steve went to the room with the beds and layed Loki down on one. He straightened out Loki's limbs and he instantly looked more comfortable. And exhausted. With his good hand on his stomach and his head turned to the side, he looked ready to pass out.

"I'm going to check the supplies," said Steve. "I'll just be in the next room, okay?"

Loki nodded. Seconds later, he was asleep.

Steve checked the cabinets first. He found everything from spare blankets to medical supplies to board games. Not to mention, there was enough food to last at least ten people through an apocalypse. Perhaps that was something Tony had prepared for. Steve thought it might have been a bit over the top, but at least the man thought about the future.

Next was the bathroom. There were towls, large quantities of soap, toothpaste... Everything. He also discovered that there was there was a little closet-like space where a generator and water heater were housed.

In the living area, there were a couple of couches and a cabled television.

If need be, a moderate group of people could live quite well here for a good while, he realized. He hadn't known that Tony was that prepared.

Steve didn't know the first thing about setting up medical equipment and he hoped that he and Loki wouldn't be down here for long anyway. He really hoped, because he realized that Loki's painkillers would begin to loose effect and he didn't know how to administer more. Perhaps he could get a hold of Bruce.

With little else he could do, Steve grabbed a blanket and headed back to Loki, who was still sleeping. Steve knew he was better off to stay that way. He placed the blanket over Loki's body and lied down in the bed next to him. He put a hand over Loki's, resting on his little baby bump being warmed by the blanket. He thought he felt a spark in his hand. Loki's lips twitched upward in a smile. He could feel Steve's presence in his sleep and it made him happy.

It made Steve smile, too. After everything, Loki deserved some happiness.

Steve closed his eyes, but did not fall asleep like Loki. He tried to find a state of rest anyway. They just had to wait.

Thor was still fighting with Mystery Man. Clint and Natasha, along with their other SHEILD buddies, were still scouring the tower. Neither were having much success. But at least Loki and the baby were out of immediate danger. He could be grateful for that.

With Jarvis updating him on the agents, Tony decided to go help Thor. When he got to the landing, Thor and Mystery Man were still deep within an argument, but few punches were being thrown. It mostly just angry shouting.

"How could you?!" cried Thor. "How could you do this?! This vile, dishonorable act?! Does he really mean so little to you?! Do I, that you who were my friend would bring such pain and shame to my only brother?!"

"He is not your brother, Thor!" Mystery Man yelled back. "He nothing but a frostgiant, a runt!! A disgrace to his own people, loathe to ours!! What is he but a monster?!"

Jeez, the poor kid couldn't help being born small and blue. Apparently, Thor thought the same thing.

"He had no choosing in his birth!! It is not his wish to be this way!! He _is_ my brother!! Not because we were born of the same blood, but because we were raised of the same house!! What does it mean, blood?! Nothing!! Love is what binds us as brothers!!"

Mystery Man shook his head. "You are not just foolish, you are demented. You think he loves you? The freak doesn't love anyone! He kills for sport! He is a whore who likes it when men are rough with him and finds his pleasure in the pain and blood! He is a sick parasite feasting upon you're kindness! You are not his brother, I am certainly not his friend! He never meant more to me than aonother pretty face to f-"

Tony struck like a serpent, blasting him into the concrete. He flew down and landed on next to him, grabbing his collar. Tony lifting his faceplate and got so close to his face to his fluffy mustache almost tickled Tony's cheek. If his eyes could shoot lasers, the man would have been dead.

"Listen to me, you bastard," Tony spat lowly. "The only monster around here is you. Who else could admit to raping someone so hard that they bled and make them out to be the villain? He's not a whore. He's not parasite. He doesn't kill for sport. He does love Thor, his parents, probably us, and even the baby I bet you didn't know you got him pregnant with. And if that isn't the truest sign of an incredibly loving person, I don't know what is. How could you be so heartless to do something so cruel? You deserve no mercy. Gods damn you to hell."

And Tony couldn't know that the agents, and someone far more powerful, were watching.

 _How was it? Please let me know what you're thinking! Attraction lives for it! O_o_


	15. Chapter 15

Well, my lovelies, Attraction has a few things to tell you.

Firstly, it's much later than I had originally intended to post this chapter. I know I had told a few of you that it would be sooner, but... You see, Attraction is subjected to very random and horrendous headaches. I've mostly been lying in bed, watching cartoons and craving chocolate like a fish needs water. I even tried to finish writing, but my partner scrapped it because, and I quote, "It was the scribblings of a dying madman and there was nothing I could do to save it." Ah, love.

Secondly, I don't really like this chapter. It moved pretty fast and got a little out of control. Alright, a lot out of control. I apologise.

Third and mostly unrelated, I'm looking for someone to do some decent artwork for me. I'd like to have some references for some original characters in a book I'm writing. Now, I actually have some artistic skill in portraiture, but I want to see someone else's interpretation of my work to help me make it better. Trust me, as an extremely visual person, it helps. Any help is more than appreciated. If you choose to do some artwork for me, I will put you in my personal acknowledgements for my work. I will provide you with a full, detailed description to work from, or even an excerpt if you prefer. Please let me know if you're interested.

!Warning! A panic attack happens at the end of this chapter, and there is also excerpts from last chapter that mention non-con.

Now that I've talked you into a boredom-induced trance, please enjoy some excitement.

A*A

Clint and Natasha watched the whole event from a safe distance- on the highest point of the roof's ledge, right above the Iron Man landing pad.

They watched silently. Various expressions passed across Clint's face as he took everything in. Natasha, as always, remained still as stone.

They interpreted the situation no less the same.

"SHEILD to Agent Romanov, Agent Barton," Fury's voice crackled through their communicators. "Status report."

Natasha turned on her microphone. "We made initial contact with Stark at 9:22 am, as you know," she deadpaned. "We proceeded to investigate after Stark denied us any information about the energy spike or his hidden refugee. It can be assumed that this is to protect a potentially hostile threat, and thus that Stark is compromised. As we have not been able to make contact with Rogers or Banner, they may also be compromised. Agents Martelli and Anderson are scouring the building for them now. We're keeping an eye on Stark."

"Good," replied Fury. "If anything changes, I demand to know immediately."

"We'll keep on the alert. Romanov out."

She turned off her communicator. Clint followed suit.

"You didn't tell him everything," said Clint. "What are you thinking, Nat?"

"I have a strange feeling. Just let me observe a bit more."

Clint gaped. "Natasha Romanov has a _feeling_? And she might _act_ on it?!"

Natasha was not amused. "Backed up by facts, Clint. By. Facts."

"Whatever."

Clint turned his attention back to the scene, where Thor was shouting loud enough for half of New York to hear him.

". _..What does it mean, blood?! Nothing!! Love is what binds us as brothers!!_ "

Clint scratched his head. "Is he talking about Loki? Why is he talking about Loki?"

"Clint," Natasha growled warningly.

Clint was quiet. For a few seconds. "I didn't realize he even _liked_ Loki anymore. I mean, after New Yor-"

"Clint. Stop. Talking."

"Sorry."

Then the man Clint didn't recognize was speaking. " _...Whore who likes it when men are rough with him and finds his pleasure in the pain and blood! He is a sick parasite feasting upon you're kindness! You are not his brother, I am certainly not his friend! He never meant more to me than another pretty face to f-"_

The man didn't get to finish his sentence before Iron Man blasted him into next Monday.

"Holy shit!" Clint cried. He was about to jump down to the fight below, but Natasha pulled him back. She put a leather-clad finger to her lips and curtly shushed him before any words could escape his mouth.

Tony was speaking. _"...Only monster around here is you. Who else could admit to raping someone so hard that they bled and make them out to be the villain? He's not a whore. He's not parasite. He doesn't kill for sport. He does love Thor, his parents, probably us, and even the baby I bet you didn't know you got him pregnant with. And if that isn't the truest sign of an incredibly loving person, I don't know what is. How could you be so heartless to do something so cruel? You deserve no mercy. Gods damn you to hell_."

"Shitshitshit!" Clint dropped off the side of the roof, going into a roll as he landed. He looked back briefly to see that Natasha had followed him, but she had landed on her feet. Typical.

In seconds, Clint had bowled himself into Tony and the unknown man. He stood up quickly and raised an arrow to his bow. "Don't. Move."

"Should've figured you wouldn't be far away, Birdbrain," Tony grumbled from his place on the ground. Looking over, he saw Thor itching to attack, but seeming to be not sure whether he should risk it.

"Should've figured you couldn't be trusted," Clint replied.

Tony laughed mirthlessly. "You know, that's actually funny. Tony Stark, not to be trusted. Yeah. Tell me- just how, exactly, could I break trust that you and the rest of SHEILD never had in the first place? I mean, if you ever did have even the teensiest bit of trust in me, you might stop to think for a second about what's happening. What's _really_ happening. But clearly, you're only loyal to your precious SHEILD, not those of us who busted our asses along with you to save the God-forsaken planet."

"Yeah? Well, what are you doing to save it now? Hiding a war criminal in your house? That's saving the planet?"

Tony began to pull himself off of the ground, despite Clint's bow trained on him. "First off, no. That's saving innocent lives, which is the other thing we're _supposed_ to be doing."

"Innocent lives? That _freak_ is not innocent. He and his cronies killed hundreds of people and caused five times that in damages. And you call him _innocent_? Are you serious right now? Honestly, I only caught bits and pieces of that conversation you just had. But if I heard right and Loki's fuckin'... _pregnant_ , of all things, then as far as I'm concerned... His kid'll be no better than he is. Hell, if this guy-" he gestured to Mystery Man, "-wants to do Loki in right now, I won't so much as lift a finger to stop him. Might even let him borrow an arrow."

Something like triumph crossed over Mystery Man's face. Horror and betrayal was etched into Thor's expression, while a complicated composite of emotions ruled Tony. As per usual, Natasha remained inscrutable behind Clint.

And not that Tony wanted to see it, but as he finally stood up straight and looked his "friend" in the face, he saw the strangest of twitches in the muscle around Clint's eyes. He didn't know what it meant. And he didn't really care.

An arrow was still pointed at Tony's face, which made him both angry and realize that he'd forgot to be paying attention to Mystery Man. Out of his pherphrial vision, he could see Mystery Man getting up to move. Faster than Tony could react, he was across the roof and headed into the building.

Suddenly, Clint turned away from Tony and let his arrow loose. It struck Mystery Man in the leg and he went down again, preventing the glass door to the penthouse from closing. Thor was on him first, but the others followed at only a slightly slower pace. Thor had both hands on Mystery Man's chest to hold him down. Pain and confusion were all that Mystery Man seemed to be able to express.

Clint smiled. "Can't believe you thought I'd let you get way. Clinton F. Barton is a lot of things, sir, but one thing he isn't is stupid. I heard enough of your little argument to know that you're more sick and twisted than Loki could ever even dream of being. I was in his head once, or rather he was in mine, so I've had a good look at what's really going on under that thick skull of his. Lots of anguish in there. Lots of anger and hurt. Lots of fear. But you know one thing that ain't in there? Hate. Yeah, I know: I couldn't believe it either.

Outta all that negativity, there ain't a drop of hate in him. It made me think real hard about what I'd do if I ever saw him again. I still don't know for sure, but I certainly ain't gonna let you kill him and poor his kid. And I ain't gonna do it, either. So, you might as well not even try to move. 'Cause the only place you're going now is a holding cell until we know what to do with your evil ass."

Stunned, all that Tony could do was follow the others as Thor dragged Mystery Man off to the elevator, Thor thanking Clint and Natasha confirming "she'd known all along".

He stopped following for a moment. It had been too easy.

Of course, when rain clouds began to gather far quicker than any storm Tony had ever seen, he knew that even the thought was a waste.

It was never that easy. Never.

As a bright light flashed overhead and an ominous booming sounded from the roof, Tony knew immediately what was happening, before Jarvis even told him.

"Sir, there is a presence on the roof with a massive energy that I have never encountered. The presence is advancing your way."

And seconds later, it had arrived.

An old man with a long, white beard and a metal patch over one eye stood in the center of Tony's living room. "I demand to speak to your leader!"

Tony sighed and shook his head, mumbling under his breath, "Maybe I fell asleep watching _Lord of the Rings_ and this all a dream or something..." Quite a bit louder, he said, "Yeah, Captain's unavailable at the moment. Can I take a message?"

Old Guy didn't look amused. "Fetch him immediately!"

"Okay, sheesh. Hold on." He lowered his faceplate and turned on his communicator. "Cap? Cap, you there?"

After a moment of silence, he tried again. "Cap? Are you guys okay down there?"

Another moment of silence, during which Tony was becoming increasingly anxious, then finally, "...Yeah, I'm here. Loki's having some pain, I'm trying to get him drink some tea and be comfortable. I don't know what else to do. I can't get a hold of Bruce."

"How bad is his pain?"

"He says it isn't bad, but... He's not doing well. ...Is everything over? Is it safe to come up?"

"Uh, yeah... I'll come down with a stretcher and we'll carry Loki up. I'll see if I can find Bruce, too." He looked over to Old Guy still standing in his living room. "Oh, and before I forget, there's an old guy in the lounge who wants to talk to you."

"...An old guy in the lounge? Did you hit your head?" Then Steve muttered something quietly, probably to Loki. "Tony, Loki wants to know what this guy looks like."

"Uh, well...he's old? He has white beard, some kind of metal eyepatch, and travels via thunder and lightning?"

Tony could hear more muttering, which he assumed was Steve relaying the information to Loki. "Uh, Tony? Apparently, that's the king of Asgard. And Loki is white as a sheet right now. He's started to shake."

"Yeah, I'd be afraid too. Just tell him I'm coming down there and he's gonna be okay. I can sedate him if I have to, but I'd rather not without Bruce. Natasha, Clint, and Thor have Mystery Man taken care of."

"Natasha and Clint?"

"Yeah, we'll talk about that later. Expect a visit from Fury sometime in the future."

"What about the other two agents?"

"My security will take care of them. Don't worry about it. I'll be down in a minute. Iron Man out."

A*A

With communication to Tony cut off, Steve focused his attention on Loki.

Loki still lay on the bed, covered by the blanket, but he was now very much awake. He complained of ache in his arm, back, and hips, but thankfully he had no pain in his head. At least, not yet.

Now, however, Loki was quaking and staring ahead with a petrified exspression. Steve went back to gently stroking his hair, having had little success getting Loki to drink Chamomile through a straw, and whispered, "It's okay, Loki... You're going to be okay..."

Loki turned his head to look at Steve, and the pitiful grimace on his bruised face filled Steve with an uncontrollable bout of sadness.

"...He'll take me back," Loki rasped. "He'll take me back there... He doesn't care about me... He'll have her killed... He'll take her away from me!" As Loki continued, his breathing picked up and his shaking increased. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over quickly, trailing down his pale white and purple face. He wrapped both arms around his torso, as if to create a barrier between his abdomen and everything else. "I won't let him do it! I won't let him!! I'd rather both of us die than live without her!! Please let me die!! I'd rather die, I'd rather die, I'd rather _die_!!!"

Loki's voice cracked painfully on his last word, the loudest of all of them. And if it had been painful to hear, it must have been horrible to emit. He was gasping shallowly for air and it was becoming increasingly difficult to tell bruised skin from unbruised. Loki was literally choking on his own tears.

Steve did the only thing he knew to do: he gently gathered Loki in his arms and held him close, careful not to smother him. He wasn't sure if anything he did would help, but he couldn't stand to watch Loki effectively asphixiate himself. He rubbed light circles on Loki's back until Loki's breathing finally slowed and he passed out cold in Steve's lap. Both arms were still covering his stomach.

An unidentified sense of guilt coursed through Steve, and it was quickly followed by anger. If he knew nothing else, he was never going to let anyone hurt Loki for any reason ever again.

He turned on his communicator again and spoke. "Tony, you'd better find Bruce quick. We've got a problem."

A*A

How was it? I hope not too bad.

A*A- Attraction has never had an attack of the magnitude described in this chapter, but has witnessed one personally. In case you were wondering.

*And before you freak out, we're still not done with Mystery Man. Not at all.

All thoughts, opinions, and suggestions are medicine to cure Attraction's headache!


	16. Chapter 16

Ohhhh boy... Am I late? I think I'm late. Please don't hate me. I solemnly swear to never be this late again.

I struggled. So. Much. Trying to write this chapter. I put some serious time into it and I hope it was worth it.

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful St. Valentine's day. Mine went very well, complete with a delicious dinner and dark chocolate! Om nom nom.

I also want to wish a belated happy birthday to Tom Hiddleston and Millie Bobby Brown. Both are wonderful actors- and amazing people in general, whom the world is a lot better off for having.

By the bye, I have a Deviantart account now. If you are ever doubting that I am alive and you want to check, go there. Also, I need friends. My account is under the name Attraction1976. I can also be found as E. Leigh Rhys.

Please enjoy!

A*A

After Steve's alert, Tony abandoned his original plan of finding the stretcher first- he would search for Bruce first instead. The Hulkzone was on the fifteenth floor, so he decided he'd better start there.

On the way down, Tony's thoughts- like so often before- turned to Loki. The last time Tony had seen him, he'd been asleep, lying in bed with the blankets up to his chin and the collar of those red and gold Iron Man pyjamas poking up around his jaw. He was so calm... He looked nothing like the Loki with his heavy-plated armor, ridiculous helmet, and gleam of megalomania in those not-so-green eyes, who sought to rule the earth with an iron fist. Nothing at all.

Because, as Tony was coming to accept, he wasn't that Loki. That Loki was gone, hopefully forever. This was the old Loki. The good Loki. The sweet Loki. The Loki who likes to watch cartoons, use people as living pillows for naptime, bond with his unborn baby, and drink milkshakes through straws.

The Loki who was now crippled, beaten black and blue, abused nearly to the brink of death. The Loki who still smiled so beautifully and genuinely despite it.

The Loki who _definitely_ had bright green eyes. Not blue. Green. Which was odd, because Tony could have sworn they were blue during the attack on New York. They _had_ been blue. ...Hadn't they? He'd have to ask Thor about it. And be sure to check his survailance footage.

The sudden opening of the elevator door brought him back to the task at hand.

As he stepped out into the hall, he noticed immediately that it was quiet. No loud, angry roars or smashing furniture, which was good. Chances were that Bruce was back to his usual self again. Chances.

"Bruce?" Tony called. "Bruce, where are you?"

"...In here, Tony," Bruce's voice called from near by.

Following the soundof Bruce's voice, Tony rounded the corner and found himself in the kitchen area. Every floor had one. He looked around and immediately spotted Bruce's fuzzy, purple sweater against the whites, browns, and baches. Bruce was leaning over sink with the water running, his back to Tony. Tony strolled towards him.

"Bruce!" Tony announced happily. "Glad to see you're the good ol' you!"

"Yeah..." Bruce shut off the faucet and turned around to face him. Which was exactly when Tony noticed the bag of ice strapped to his lower leg.

"What happened?" Tony questioned, gestering to the self-rigged compress.

Bruce did a kind of hop across the cream-coloured, tiled floor and sat down in a stool at the breakfast island. "Don't worry about it, really. I got a little disoriented after Hulk and tripped, that's all. I think it's just a bruise."

"I thought you got over the whole 'dazed and confused' thing."

"I did. But I think Hulk had renewed strength this time around. It's as if seeing the bastard that raped and helped beat the self-worth out of someone defenseless, someone Hulk knew... He reached a whole new level of angry, Tony. I don't know that there's any comparison!"

 _Bruce just used 'bastard' to describe someone,'_ Tony thought. _Well, it's for sure now: Bruce definitely hates the guy as much as I do!_ "Man... And I thought Hulk hated Loki!" Tony exclaimed.

Bruce shook his head. "Not hardly. What Hulk did to Loki was nothing but child's play. If I ever even see that... that..."

"...Disgusting, Asgardian monster that gets his kicks off of abusing someone bloody he knows can't fight him back and win?" Tony supplied, in what he hoped was a helpful way.

Bruce nodded, but Tony could see the green tinging his ears. "Right, him. If I ever lay eyes on him, Hulk will make sure he'll be nothing but a stain on floor. I promise you that."

Tony scratched the back of his head. "Well, as much as I'm sure I wouldn't miss him... I don't know if I'd be able get Asgardian douchebag out of my carpet with the best carpet cleaners in the world. Better keep him clear of your line of vision."

"I assume you've captured him?"

"Yeah. ...With some help. We can talk about it later. Right now, we've gotta get down to the panic room. Asap, actually."

Bruce was visibly concerned. "What happened?"

Tony sighed. "Loki had a panic attack. A pretty bad one, according to Steve. He said Loki was crying so hard that he cut off his own oxygen and passed out. Thought you'd better have a look at him right away."

Bruce leaned on the table and stood up. "You're right. If he lost oxygen, we have to check on the baby immediately."

"Let's go, then." Tony turned and began to trek back to the elevator, Bruce following. They'd go to the seventh floor, where the last (technically first) door to the panic room stairwell was. Tony was pretty sure there was a stretcher on that floor, too.

Once they were on their way down, Tony added, "Oh, and his meds were wearing off. Steve said he was in pain."

"I'll get him back on a drip once we get him back to his room," Bruce replied. "I may have to inject the first new doses, if his levels are too low."

"Got'cha."

The elevator came to a halt and they exited. Tony quickly located a stretcher and pushed it to the door to the stairwell. Once the passwords were out of the way, he proceeded to drag it down the stairs. Bruce followed behind. It was tediously slow, and the metal wheels of the stretcher clanked with each step.

Finally, they'd reached the vaulted door of the panic room. Tony gave the next set of codes and the door opened.

Steve must have heard it, because he called cautiously from near by, "Tony? Bruce?"

Tony pushed the stretcher into the room. Bruce came to a stop in the doorway behind him. "We're here, Cap," Tony called back.

Steve appeared moments later with Loki in his arms, wrapped up in a blue blanket. "Tony, Bruce..." Steve breathed in relief. "Thank God..."

"No kidding, Cap," Tony replied. "Just lay Loki down on the stretcher and we'll get him back up to the penthouse."

Steve laid Loki down and picked up on one end of the cold, slick frame. Tony got the other end and they began to reascend the stairs.

After only two flights, Tony was losing steam. "Why did I make the first door seven floors up again?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time?" Bruce offered.

Tony grunted. "Of course it would..."

Eventually, they were on the seventh floor again. Tony had grumbled and complained the whole way up, to be met with resigned silence. Now, Steve took over wheeling the stretcher and Tony could finally feel his arms again.

In the elevator, Bruce's gaze shifted to him. It made him feel unnerved.

"What?" He asked.

Bruce looked away with air of nonchalance. "Nothing," he answered coolly.

Tony put a hand on his chest and feigned insult. "Are you _judging_ me, Bruce?"

"I'd never."

Just then, the doors slid open and they entered Tony's penthouse. Steve immediately rolled Loki to his room, Tony and Bruce following.

By the time Bruce had measured out Loki's medications, Steve had transferred Loki to his bed and gotten him properly situated among his blankets and pillows. Bruce set about reattaching everything that needed to be attached. Then he took a stethoscope to Loki's belly, moving it around and listening intently until he appeared satisfied.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" Tony asked.

Bruce took a deep breath and released it. "The baby sounds healthy, at least for now. I wish I could say the same for Loki, but... We'll do what we can do."

Tony nodded. "Right. Speaking of doing what we can do- Old Guy's still waiting to talk to you, Steve."

Steve sighed. "Okay. Stay with Loki and make sure nothing happens to him. The king really upsets him." He walked towards the door. "Okay, lets get this over with..."

Steve disappeared from the room in an instant.

Tony sat down in his usual chair next to Loki's bed and gingerly took his hand. The action still felt awkward, but it made Loki calm, perhaps even happy. That was all that mattered, really.

 _'You're becoming a little more Steve-ish everyday,'_ Tony thought to himself. _'Lock yourself in the lab for a week, that'll take care of it.'_

Tony suddenly noticed that Loki twitched a little during one of Bruce's injections.

"Is he waking up?" Tony asked.

Bruce looked over. "He could be..."

But there was no "could be" about it. Within seconds, Loki's green eyes snapped open and he launched into a struggle.

Certain that Loki was putting himself into another attack, Tony attempted to calm him. "Loki," he said gently. "Loki, it's me. It's me, Tony. It's okay. You're safe."

"...Anthony?" Loki stopped, but only for a moment. "...No, no, no! You're... not him! You're not... You're not Anthony! ...It's a trick... A trick... I'm not safe! ...She... She's not safe! Stop it! ...You're hurting me! ...Stop!!"

"Bruce, don't inject him anymore!" Tony cried.

"I've already finished!" Bruce answered.

Tony held Loki's hand a little tighter. He looked at Loki's face, into the eyes so wide that they were almost black. Little beads of sweat were beginning to form on his near translucent skin, his thin lips parted as his lungs fought to take in much-needed air.

Loki had been so strong during the battle of New York. Tony shuddered to think on what could have instilled this kind of fear in him.

It was _so_ wrong.

Tony took a deep breath and spoke again. "Loki. Loki, listen. It's really me. It's really Tony. Bigmouthed, thick-skulled, might-kinda-like-you-a-little-bit, Anthony 'The Human Pillow' Stark."

Tony assumed it was at that moment that Loki's painkillers finally started to kick in.

"...Anthony." It was a statement, and nothing more.

Tony allowed himself to smile. "Yeah. You back with us, Snowflake?"

The corner of Loki's mouth quirked as he looked Tony in the eye. "...Yes. I... don't know what came... came over me. Of course... Of course you are Anthony. ...Dear Anthony."

 _'Dear?'_ Tony thought. _'I'm dear to Loki?'_

Outwardly, Tony shrugged. "Hey, no biggy. If I were you... Man, I'd be a mess for sure. You're doing way better than I would. Probably any of us. It's okay if you freak out a little. You were in pain, it does it to the best of us."

Loki finally achieved a closed-lip smile. "You are... far too kind... And when I have... have done so little to... deserve it..."

 _'What is up with him?'_ Tony thought to himself once more. _'This is the most articulate he's been since he got here.'_

Tony pointed a finger at Loki. "Listen, I don't want to hear that out of your mouth again, mister. All I'm doing is being a decent human being, and you sure as Hell deserve it."

That earned a laugh from Loki. _'A goddamn giggle!'_ "Anthony... I wish... I wish to ask you something..."

 _'A question?'_

"Shoot."

Loki looked apprehensive. "Well... Perhaps... Perhaps it is... too soon... Perhaps you do not... favor me in that way. But..."

 _'Oh. My. God.'_ Tony looked up to see Bruce smirking from across the room.Loki continued. "...I find you... You are so... So intelligent. ...So warm. ...So caring for your friends... And for me... And you are so... handsome. ...I wish to... Anthony, will you court me?"

 _'What. Just. Happened.'_ A*A

When Steve entered the lounge, an elderly man with a white beard and an eye patch was standing in the center.

"Captain Rodgers," the man said.

 _'Well, here goes nothing.'_

"Yes," Steve replied. "And you must be..."

"Odin Allfather, king of Asgard."

"Right. You wished to speak with me?"

The man nodded slightly. "Yes. I wish to speak to you because you are the leader of the midgardian warriors, the one most levelheaded and likely make intelligent decisions. Our discussion shall be about Loki. I understand that he is in your care?"

"Yes."

"It is true, that he is with child?"

 _'What is he getting at?'_

"Yes, it is."

"Than I have but one simple request. Upon the child's birth, I wish for it and it's mother to be returned to Asgard."

Steve went cold. He stood stiff as stone.

"No."

A*A

What? Did Loki just ask Tony out? Odin is demanding the return of Loki and the baby? Loki asked Tony out?! WHAT?! O~o

Attraction has gone batty! Your thoughts?


	17. Chapter 17

_*clears throat* *bursts into song* *sings very, very off key* FIIINALLLYYYY!!!_

 _Wow. Just... Wow. I unintentionally broke my promise to you, dear readers. I hope this chapter will make up for it. I was sick for a little while, but I mostly just fought the whole thing, trying to get it out. I rewrote the first part three times._

 _I still don't really like it- but if I'd rewritten it anymore, it might have been another month before you saw it. It has fluff, arguments, more fluff and suspense. Please enjoy it._

 _*By the bye, I went to see 'Kong: Skull Island'. And then I went saw it again. And again. I just couldn't help myself._

 _*sees black-and-white still of Tom from 'Skull Island' filming* *brain quits* *incoherent gurgling noises* *falls face first on computer keyboard*_

 _While Attraction attempts to sort out brain bits, please be entertained by this long-awaited chapter. O~o_

A*A*A*

Tony could feel Loki's eyes on him, gazing so deeply Tony wondered if he was seeing into Tony's soul. It wouldn't really surprise him.

Tony couldn't look at Loki's face. He knew if he did, he'd break right then. Instead, he found himself looking at everything but Loki: the tv, the door, the bedside lamp, the IV pole, the windows, the silver-coloured carpet, one of the black knobs of the bedframe, Bruce.

His eyes stuck to Bruce for a moment, who was leaning against the far wall from Tony and regarding him with a smile on his face.

Bruce had known about this all along. The bastard. He'd probably put Loki up to it. He'd be receiving a stern talking to later.

Finally, Tony could stall no longer. He finally looked at Loki's face, finding himself immediately captured by those huge, green orbs.

Tony would be perfectly okay with being under the spell of those eyes for the rest of his life. Nevermind SHEILD. Nevermind the media. Nevermind his reputation. Nevermind the world.

But he sucked at relationships and he knew it. This was a recipe for disaster, and Loki deserved a fighting chance to get out before it was too late.

He held Loki's good hand in both of his own. He felt the boney fingers wrap around his left palm and squeeze uberly gently.

Tony cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Loki..." he began. "Look, Snowflake: I'm not super great at feelings. I never have been. You really don't want to do this."

Nothing in Loki's face seemed to change, except for a slight quircking upward of his lips. Although that might have been a figment of Tony's imagination.

"...Oh, but I do," he whispered.

Tony shook his head, pressing on. "Lokes, I've got to give it to you straight: there's an 87% chance I'm going to break your heart, a 12% chance you'll break mine, and a solid 1% chance we'll both survive with our hearts intact. There's just no way around it."

Loki's focus sharpened, if that were even still possible. He spoke softly, but intently. "...It matters not. ...I shall simply strive to fall... in that last 1%."

And _damn_ if that didn't make Tony want to melt into a puddle in his chair.

Loki gestured with his head for Tony to come closer. When Tony leaned forward, Loki kissed him cautiously on the cheek. Then he nuzzled his head in the crook of Tony's neck and rested there.

In the midst of the war raging in Tony's brain, he was vaguely aware of the door closing. Bruce had left the room.

Maybe that talk wouldn't be so stern after all.

Tony felt the warmth of Loki's breath on his skin as he began to speak again. "...You have provided me lodgings... and cared for me... while my injuries have consumed me so... though you owed me nothing. I'd like to think, then... that there is more kindness in you... than even you believe. And though my body rests in a fragile state... my mind is not weak. You could not break my heart... if your right to breathe rested upon it."

Tony found himself smiling as he reached up to run his fingers through Loki's curls.

He might just as well have fired up some cosmic laser and blown up the universe- but what was life as a sad, single Pringle anyway?

 _'What the hell,'_ Tony thought _'Two-and-a-half sad Pringles is better than one.'_

"Alright, babe," he said quietly. "Alright."

A*A*A*

"No."

Odin looked disturbed. "What?"

Steve stood his ground. "I said no."

Eyes narrowing, Odin took a step forward. "...You would deny the king of Asgard and risk war over something so frivolous as this?"

If the statement was meant to convince Steve to reconsider, it was poorly constructed.

"I'm not interested in waging war with Asgard," Steve said simply. "But here on Earth, it would be pretty hard to call yourself a decent person knowing that you'd sent a mother and child to their inevitable deaths."

Odin looked taken aback. "Deaths? No, I would never-"

Steve wasn't convinced. "Loki was almost dead when he was brought here. He's not much better now. If you could let this happen to your own son, then... I can't hand him and his baby over to you."

"Loki is a criminal, his punishment was only fair."

It was Steve's turn to glare. "I'm afraid I have to disagree. Right now, Loki is lying in a bed with so many broken bones that he can hardly scratch an itch- let alone get up to take himself to the bathroom- and a stomach swollen with a child he was forced to concieve. A punishment didn't do that. Torture did. In my time, he would have died that first night. No matter what anyone's done, they don't deserve that. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. And Loki is certainly not my worst enemy."

Odin took a couple more steps forward, holding up his hand. "He's gotten hold of your mind and poisoned it with these false thoughts! He's tricking you into providing him protection!"

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was Loki's father! "Somehow, I feel that if he could take a hold of my mind, he wouldn't need my protection."

"He knows he is not strong enough to defeat me and hopes to use you to escape his punishment, fooling you into thinking him mistreated. It is nothing he has not attempted before. If he is truly with child, he has more than likely suduced a guard and is trying to absolve any of the blame from himself. He has attempted something similar before, but it did not end in his favor."

This completely conflicted with what Steve had learned to be who Loki was, and he had a hard time believing it. But why would his father lie? How could he possibly benefit?

Odin must have taken Steve's thoughtful silence for belief in his word, because he continued. "I understand that this must be a shock for you, but there is no reason to become outraged. Trickery is in his nature, he was conniving even as a child. If it is preferable, you may simply return him now and he shall be dealt with fittingly. I only wish that-"

Suddenly, Steve was aware of the elevator opening and heavy footsteps on the floor.

"Father?" Steve had never heard Thor sound so surprised.

Odin looked past Steve to his approaching son. "Thor. You have returned to the company of your mortal friends."

Steve turned and saw Thor staring at Odin, not with familial love, but with contempt. "Why have you come here?"

"To make arrangements for Loki's return to Asgard," Odin stated firmly.

Thor's face reddened in anger. "No! You will not fool my friends into sending him back! How could you come here and demand he be given to you after I denied you? He is my brother even you are not his father, not your property!"

Odin looked a little dumbfounded. "You would chose to be that deceitful monster's brother rather my son?"

Thor shook his head. "If ever he was a monster, it was no one's fault but your own. I see now that his 'imagined slights' were not so imagined. I followed you blindly and believed that you treated us fairly, but you did not. Even after Hela, I refused to see your true intentions!"

"Hela was conceived of Loki's own foolishness and she perished by it. A still birth was tragic, but he would have suffered more pain and humiliation had she lived. As it was, it best that no one know of her existence."

"Loki was a child! I remember going to see him... He clutched her little body and cried until she was pried from his hands! I never asked why there was no funeral, I never asked why Loki had shut himself up for weeks after- I didn't care. I was arrogant and selfish then, I had never felt such sorrow as he must have felt. You claim it was for his benefit, but I know now that it was for your own- that you would not have to face your kingdom and tell them that your second son, who was not really your son at all, had given birth to a dead infant.

'But that will not happen again. No matter what occurs, Loki will be supported here. And if my remaining here with him means to denounce my claim to be a prince of Asgard, so be it. I may never make up for all the wrongs I have dealt him, but I am willing to try. If you are not, than you need only leave."

Stone-faced once more, Odin turned to Steve. "Be this the wish of the mortal leader?"

To disagree with Thor would have been to throw down his shield and stomp on it. "Yes," he replied.

"So be it." In a flash, Odin was gone.

Looking at Thor, Steve said, "Do you think he'll come back?"

Thor nodded. "Of course. He will not give up that easily." He sighed. "But for now, it is over."

"Thor... Hela was..."

"Loki's daughter. She was dead before her day of birth, and I never knew of her father. Loki was the equivalent of fifteen midgardian years." He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. "I should like to see my brother now."

With that, he turned and walked in the direction of Loki's bedroom. Steve followed.

A*A*A*

Bruce was stacking and restacking the coasters beside the sofa in the sitting room of Loki's suite. When he saw Steve and Thor approaching, he sat the coasters in his hand down and stood. "Guys... Is everthing...?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so." He ran his hand across his face. "Hey, why are you sitting out here? Is Loki okay?"

Bruce flashed a genuine smile, but said nothing. Instead, he opened Loki's bedroom door and stood beside it. Thor stepped inside and stood on the threshold, forcing Steve to look over his shoulder.

Tony had turned his chair and pushed it as close to the bed as it could be. He was leaning to the side so that his head rested on the headboard, which allowed Loki's head to rest on his. The little, pink baby blanket was covering Loki's stomach again, with his casted hand resting on top of it. His other hand held Tony's, their fingers intertwined with each other as they watched a new-looking cartoon featuring a grumpy older man and a floating house.

Oh.

 _Oh._

Loki was the first to look over. He cracked a wide smile. "...Thor! ...And Steven! ...I am so very... very happy that you have returned. Come and... and view this film with us. I feel it will be... most worthwhile."

Steve couldn't see Thor's face, but he could almost hear his grin. "Alright, Loki. We shall."

Steve agreed. "If you say it's good, then I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Because nevermind the world.

A*A*A*

"Your attempt was weak. You are failing us."

"I just... need more time to plan, that is all."

"Fine. More time you shall have. Let them think themselves safe. Then we will strike."

"Yes. Yes, fine."

"But remember, _King_ , if the mage is not returned to us with it's spawn _alive_ , then you shall pay the price. You have already failed us once."

"Yes, that was a mistake. It shall not happen again."

"See that it doesn't. Or Asgard _burns_."

A*A*A*

 _Soooo... How'd it fair? Any suggestions? Thoughts? Predictions? Death threats? O_O_


	18. Chapter 18

_This chapter was so hard to write. I wrote one opening, then wrote another, then another. Finally, I decided to scrap everything but the first two openings and combine them._ _I knew I was going to be really late posting, so I tried to make this chapter extra long. Actually, it's about 1000 words longer than any other chapter I've posted. I hope you enjoy it._

A*A*A*

Thor carefully tucked the blankets around Loki's shoulders and under his chin, doing his best to make sure that he hadn't squashed any of Loki's very important tubes and wires.

"Are you comfortable, brother?" he asked, brushing away a curl that had fallen in front of Loki's face with the lightest touch he could manage.

Loki gave him a small smile, and Thor noticed for the first time that one side was slightly off from the other.

He realized that through all the centuries he had known Loki, he had never looked at his face this closely. Had his little brother's expressions always been nearly imperceptibly crooked?

"Yes, quite comfortable..." Loki replied. His voice was still very soft and as creaky as a wet boot, but Thor thought it sounded better than it had that afternoon. "Doctor Banner's elixirs have driven away... much of the pain... And these covers are soft and warm..." His smile grew a little and there was a strange glint in his eyes. "You needn't treat me as though... I am a piece of stained glass... I will not shatter with a... strong gust of wind..."

An image of Loki's bashed, too-thin body being carried away on the breeze crossed Thor's vision all too realistically. He couldn't help but feel more terrified, despite the intention of Loki's words.

He sat down heavily on the edge of his cot, a small bed with a firm mattress and a metal frame on wheels. It squeaked irritably in protest to the weight of his body and slid on the carpet a little. His own bed a few floors down was much more comfortable, for reasons he couldn't ascertain, but this one would allow him to stay with Loki through the nights until he was well.

Though he obtained little sleep with its use, he was able to remain by Loki's side. That was all that mattered.

"I am merely afraid," he replied then, "that I will forget my own strength and the force of my hand will cause you further harm."

Loki's smile faltered. "...I know that your actions are only of good will... Even if you were to bring me pain... it would not be 'harm', as you say... 'Harm' is injury through malicious intent... You need not worry about it..."

It was a nice sentiment, but offered as little reassurance as Loki's first response had. He was used to Loki trying to convince him that he did not cause him pain, long since their childhood. Whether Loki did it to spare Thor's feelings or to appear tougher than he really was, Thor was never sure.

His eyes caught sight of the little, pink blanket that Tony had gifted Loki. It was currently draped over Loki's abdomen, as it so often was, hiding the very slightest of swells. If Loki were healthy, the swell would not yet exsist.

"...How does the child fair?" he inquired.

Loki's smile returned. "...Well, I think. She knows no words... And so, does not communicate... using them..." He paused to cough weakly, then continued on. "...But she speaks to me... just the same. I feel her... I do not have... much magic reserved. But what I do have... has wrapped itself around her. She is warm and protected... I hope that she... will continue to be so... when she no longer grows within me..."

A tear escaped Loki's eye, and Thor wiped it away with his finger.

"She will, brother," Thor said simply.

Loki sniffed a little, the corners of his lips tightening as he glanced down. "Thor... I want you to... take me to Fandral... in the morning..."

Panic struck Thor's psyche like a serpent. "No, Loki, I cannot-!"

"I want him to... see me... And know that he... did not win."

Terror's strangling grip on Thor immeadiately began to lessen its hold. "...Are you sure you want to see him?"

Loki nodded slowly. "Yes... Yes, I am... It's important I confront him, I think... I know what he thinks of me... And I want to be... be the one to tell him... that he's wrong." Another tear rolled down his cheek, but this one was in anger. He drew the skin just below his lips between his teeth and held it there for a moment, managing to pull an infuriated frown despite the uncooperation of the rest of his face.

He continued on, and his voice was noticeably more hoarse than it had been before. "I can do so... so little for... myself now... I can't even... even feed myself! ...Or bath! ...Or dress! ...Or walk! I must... I must do something for myself! I must!"

At first, Thor was unsure of what to do. And then, slowly, he gently embraced his little brother and let him sob lividly into his arm.

"You will get back your strength, Loki," Thor said softly. "But until then, I shall do whatever is necessary to make you well. You know that, do you not? If it is your wish to confront Fandral for your wellness, then... So be it."

Eventually, Loki settled down, but Thor continued to embrace him for a while after.

Finally, he moved away. He took up Loki's hand instead. "You should rest now. Perhaps... a car-toon?"

Loki nodded, sniffling.

Thor pushed a button on the little device that Tony had given him and the screen came to life. A mischievous, gray rabbit was tricking a funny-sounding, bald man with a gun.

Loki was asleep within minutes.

A*A*A*

"Which colour, Jarvis?" Tony asked, staring at his Starkpad.

"Both are equally pleasing, sir," Jarvis replied.

"Yeah, but which one?"

"Sir, I am not programmed to give advice on interior design."

"You think black is too dreary for a kid? With 'Loki, the Elizabethan goth' for a parent, probably not."

"Again, sir, I am not-"

"'Programmed to give advice on interior design', I know. I heard you the first time." He sighed, running a hand over his face. "...Where's Pepper when you need her?"

"In California, sir."

As Tony took a sip of the drink that had has been sitting beside him, a sudden thought struck him. "I'm gonna call her."

There was something akin to exasperation in Jarvis' voice. "Sir, it's two o'clock A.M. where Miss Potts is currently located."

Tony had already pulled out his phone. "As though that's been enough to stop me before? Just dial her, J."

If Jarvis had eyes to role, Tony was sure he would've done just that. But the phone began to ring anyway.

After nearly a minute of not-so-patient waiting, Pepper's very tired-looking face appeared on his screen.

"Pep!" Tony exclaimed, smiling.

Pepper did not look pleased. "This had better be important, Tony."

Tony nodded. "Very important, yeah. Listen, I need advice."

Pepper's eyebrows raised and her head tilted slightly downward, though her eyes never seemed to have moved. "Advice? You called me at two in morning for... advice?"

"Interior design advice specifically, which Jarvis insists he can't provide. And since you were always decorating and redecorating the rooms here, figured you'd know something about it. Send her the pictures, J."

"Right away, sir," Jarvis replied.

Moments later, Pepper's brow furrowed. "...Tony? Why are you shopping for baby furniture?"

Oops. Perhaps he should have explained that first. "Um... Yeah, listen... Hope you're sitting down..."

Pepper sported a look of suspicion. "Tony, you didn't..."

Tony expected as much. "Pep, it's not what you think. You know Thor, right? And that he's got an adopted brother?"

"You mean the one who from the invasion that almost got you killed? I'd rather not, thanks."

"Well, first: he may not have led that invasion of his own free will. I'm looking into that. Second, Thor brought him here a few days ago and... Jarvis, camera shot."

Horror slowly spread across Pepper's features. "Oh my god... That is not the same guy."

Tony grimaced. "Actually, it really is. According to Thor, he was imprisoned in Asgard and they nearly beat him to death... And, uh... He's in pretty bad shape."

Pepper slowly nodded, but she looked gray. "Tony, this absolutely terrible. ...But what does it have to do with baby furniture?"

"Yeah, I'm getting to that. Well, it turns out that Thor's little brother is an entirely different species than him, and his physiology is vastly different. In some really complicated ways. Simply put, though..." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "He's... Oh, what's the way Thor likes to say it...?"

"Spit it out, Tony."

"...'With child?'"

So many expressions passed over Pepper's face that Tony couldn't tell when one ended and the next began.

"...Are you serious?" she deadpaned.

"Perfectly."

"...How far along?"

"According to Bruce, about ten-and-a-half weeks. Development wise, anyway. He's not a human, so the actual time could vary."

Pepper nodded, then remained silent for a while.

"I'm taking a jet to New York right now," she finally said. "Wait up for me."

"What?! Pep, wait-!" Tony cried.

But Pepper had already disconnected.

"Great," said Tony, putting the phone on the table. "Not how I wanted that to go."

"Pardon me, sir," said Jarvis, "but you- to quote Agent Barton- 'brought it on yourself.'"

"Yeah, thanks. The worst part about it is that she never told me which colour was better." He sighed, getting up from his chair. "How are our esteemed houseguests, Jarvis?"

"Mr. Laufeyson woke twice during the night, but is currently sleeping. Judging by his previous sleep patterns, of which remain at a constant despite sudden bursts and drains of energy, he is due to wake shortly. Mr. Odinson is currently awake."

"At 5:30am? I'm impressed. Thor used to sleep like the dead. But I guess Loki's got that covered now, huh?"

"Mr. Laufeyson sleeps for an average of seventeen hours per day, while Mr. Odinson sleeps for an average of five hours per day."

"Ouch. I guess I'd better grab ol' Point-break some java."

Tony made his way from the lounge to the kitchen, where Steve stood over the stove with his back turned. He wore blue, striped pajama bottoms with a white t-shirt and, if the tell-tale sizzling was anything to go by, was frying eggs.

"Hey Cap," Tony said has he strolled over to the cabinet.

"'Morning, Tony," Steve answered. "Want some eggs? Or bacon, maybe? Got some waffles too, if you want those."

Tony removed two mugs from the shelf and began to fill them with freshly brewed coffee. "No, thanks. I think I'll stick to a nice cuppa Joe for now."

Steve shrugged, placing three eggs from the pan onto a plate. "Suit yourself. What's got you up so early?"

"Actually, I never went to bed. Had a pleasant chat with Pepper, though- she's coming up here, by the way. But I just thought I'd bring some coffee to Thor. He'd probably appreciate some pop tarts too, now that I think about it."

"Oh. Pepper's coming for a visit? That'll be nice, right? ...Is Loki awake? I could make him some cream of wheat."

"Pepper? Have a nice visit? Sure, Cap. Anyway, Jarvis says Loki's still sleeping, but he should be awake soon. I'll head over now, if you wanna follow up with some grub."

"Sure!" Steve exclaimed, already getting started on breakfast for Loki.

As Tony walked back towards the door, he heard Steve's voice again.

"Oh, before you go," he said, "have you heard anything from Clint and Natasha? You know, about... you-know-who?"

Tony shook his head, amused. "Speaking his name is not a sin, Cap. Neither is calling him 'the racist, abusing, douchebag rapist.'"

Steve looked incredibly uncomfortable at Tony's use of language and he probably would have said as much, had he not also agreed. "Well... Have you?"

Tony actually had heard things, and it was nothing Steve actually wanted to hear.

He decided it was better to gloss over the details.

"Oh... Same old, same old. Idle threats, escape attempts... The usual, really. Joke's on him, though. If the Hulk can't escape the Hulk tank, there's no way in Hell that he ever will."

Steve looked relieved and disappointed at the same time. "Well, I guess that's all we can hope for. I'll see you, then."

"Bye, Cap."

Tony exited the kitchen, cups full of coffee in hand, slowly ambling down the hall. He was thankful that Jarvis automatically opened the doors for him as he made his way to Loki's rooms.

When he finally made it to Loki's bedroom, he didn't even stop to knock.

Thor looked over as Tony set the cups down on the bedside table. "Friend Stark?" he said in a low voice.

"Hey," Tony replied, just as quietly. "Thought you could use some coffee." He handed a cup to Thor, than picked up his own.

"Ah, yes," said Thor. "The hot and bitter Midgardian beverage, often consumed with the morning meal and made from a strange bean called 'Columbia.'"

Tony sat down in the chair opposite to Thor. "Yeah. Not all coffee beans are Colombian, though. They're just common."

Thor nodded. "Ah." He took a sip. "This is used to grow more awake, is it not?"

"You got it," Tony agreed.

Thor looked genuinely grateful. "Thank you."

A few moments of silence had past and Tony was just about to initiate another conversation when there suddenly a squeaky, wheezing sound, like a voiceless groan. It took him longer than it should have to realize where the sound was coming from.

"...Is that Loki?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Yes," Thor replied as he sat his cup down and turned to face where Loki's head lay. "He is waking to a pain, I believe." He placed his massive palm over Loki's forehead and stroked the hair on his scalp. Perhaps that was so he would feel it in his sleep. "Take care, friend Stark; it has become that Loki often wakes with terrible confusion, about the place he is in and the persons near him. I am used to such things, however..."

Tony remembered the few times he'd witnessed Loki awaken fully. "I know, big guy. It's okay."

Loki soon stopped making the wheezy, groaning noises and turned his head into Thor's hand.

"...Mother?" he croaked.

Thor immediately looked very sad. "No, it is not Mother," he said softly. "It is Thor."

"...Thor? ...Where is Mother? I need Mother..."

Thor shook his head. "She... is not here, Loki. You are in a room in friend... Anthony's tower. Do you remember?"

Very slowly, Loki's eyes fluttered open. "...Anthony? ...Where is Anthony?"

Tony put his hand on Loki's shoulder. "Right here, Snowflake."

Loki's head turned toward Tony now, and a smile graced his lips. "...Anthony."

He seemed content to merely gaze at Tony with his huge, sparkling eyes for a few minutes, and Tony thought it was best to say nothing.

And then, Steve was at the door. "Knock, knock," he said, even though the door was open. He had a tray in his hands.

Loki's eyes moved to Steve. "...Steven."

"May I come in, Loki?" Steve asked.

Loki nodded. "You may..."

Steve entered and sat the tray down. He handed two boxes of pop tarts to Thor, who thanked him and immediately tore open a package to eat it. He'd also brought waffles for Tony anyway, in addition to his own breakfast, "in case he got hungry"- which was such a Steve thing to do. Then he turned to Loki.

"Are you hungry?"

Loki hadn't eaten since yesterday morning and he should have been ravenous, which the combination of being underweight and pregnant couldn't have helped. But he only answered, "...A little."

Steve smiled. "Alright, let's sit you up." He slid an arm behind Loki's shoulders and carefully pulled him up, letting him lean back against his pile of pillows. When Loki was properly situated, Steve pulled a chair up close to the bed- next to Tony- and picked up a bowl from the tray.

"Have you ever considered becoming a nurse, Cap?" Tony couldn't help but ask.

"Perhaps," Steve answered simply, focused on feeding Loki.

But when he brought the spoon to Loki's lips, Loki wouldn't open his mouth.

"Brother, why will you not eat?" Thor asked.

Loki looked towards the wall. "I want... I want to feed myself."

Steve just smiled again. "Why didn't you say so? Here."

He positioned the spoon in Loki's left hand (his unbroken one) and helped Loki slowly lift the spoon to his mouth.

Tony had never seen anyone look so happy to take a bite of hot cereal in his life.

Gradually, Steve provided less and less assistance. After about five spoonfuls, Loki was managing to lift the spoon on his own, albeit with a unsteady grip.

"Loki!"

In the time it took to blink, Loki's seventh bite was no longer on his spoon. But it wasn't in his mouth, either.

Thor wiped away cream of wheat from his face with a tissue and glared at Loki. Why did he look so upset? It had only been an accident.

Except Loki was giggling. He giggled until he lost his breath, then he giggled some more.

Loki had flicked the beige-coloured goop into Thor's face. On purpose.

Tony couldn't help but laugh too. Steve also began to laugh- and after a few more moments of irritance, Thore joined in.

"...Why, dear brother," Loki snickered, "...what a lovely colour... that is on you!"

"Very funny, Loki," Thor replied. "Very funny."

No one noticed that Bruce had entered the room until he spoke: "Hey, what'd I miss?"

A*A*A*

Fandral slammed his fist against the door and shouted, "Let me out!!"

Clint smirked. "Uh, how 'bout no?"

Fandral slammed his fist again. "Let me out, I say!! You have no idea what you've done!!"

Clint laughed. "Yeah, I've heard that one before."

"You fools!! You've doomed the whole lot of you!! You are allowing a evil monstrosity to be loose among you!!"

"That's funny, 'cause it looks like you're locked up to me."

"Listen to me!! I am only trying to help you!! The frostgiant freak will destroy you all!!"

"Oh yeah? Well-"

"Clint!" Natasha called from across the room. "Stop egging him on and get over here! I need to beat you at mancala again!"

Clint sighed and moved away from the door. "Why do I play with you? I never win."

As Clint walked away, Fandral continued to bang against the door and shout. "Hey!! Don't you understand?! You must lock him away!! Protect yourselves!!!"

But neither Clint nor Natasha was listening.

Fandral let his forehead hit the cold steel.

How would he ever steal Loki away now? They wouldn't understand, no one would. No, he couldn't tell anyone his real plan.

He couldn't tell anyone that he loved Loki. No one could know, no one.

Loki was disowned now. They would run away to some distant realm, where no could find them. Not even Thor, especially Thor. Loki would love him in time, he was sure of it. The child was not part of the plan, but no matter.

He'd waited so long. He had to get to Loki. He had to.

A*A*A*

 _What did you think? I hope it wasn't too boring. But things are about to pick up. BIG things are going to happen! I started setting up for it last chapter. Any guesses?_

 _I really thought that Loki and Thor were due for a talk. I hope I wasn't wrong._

 _Is Fandral wigging anyone else out, or is it just me? (Like I have to ask...)_

 _*I'm starting to think about names for Loki's daughter. I'm thinking something unique, but not so complicated that it will knot readers' brains into pretzels every time they read it. (Although Loki might would enjoy the prospect. ;) ] It'll be a while before she is born, but I'm so excited! Thoughts?_

 _*And if anyone has noticed how often I describe Loki's eyes... If someone asked me to pick a favorite body part, it would have to be eyes. And I especially love Tom Hiddleston's eyes! They're big and expressive and... Well, yeah. They're beautiful. X)_


	19. Chapter 19

_I'm finally posting a new chapter!!!_ _I swear I didn't mean to abandon you guys. Every chapter is getting harder, and I felt like I could've edited this one forever. I hope it's not too anticlimactic._ _I spent the first month stuck on the first section of this. Once I got that figured out (thanks for your help, Celestia), everything else came easier. The only problem was that two of my wisdom teeth have started to come in at the same time, and it's been a bit distracting. Yay me._ _I'm really excited for some events coming up in this story, and I hope you guys are too! I promise that the next chapter will be out much sooner. If you think I'm taking too long- or you just want to verify that I'm still alive- make a comment! Feel free to scold me, I need it sometimes!_ _*There's a dream sequence in this chapter that is formatted in all italics. When the italics suddenly end, the dream is over. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone._ _*Oh, and I just saw the pictures and videos from SDCC, and the new trailer for Ragnarok! It was literally about ten minutes ago and it's exactly what I needed right now. Tom's hair is getting so fluffy again! And Loki's sass is back! *squeels in an undignified manner* X)_ _Enjoy!_

A*A*A

"You ready, Lokes?" asked Tony.

Loki nodded, glancing up at Tony for a brief moment before looking back down at the fingers on his good hand twisting together in his lap. His mouth was a hard line and his eyes stared blankly in a way that made him seem very nearly bored. If he'd have said anything, it almost certainly would've been, "I want this over with by yesterday."

And he wasn't fooling Tony. Not. One. Bit.

Tony shook his head. "Are you sure? You know you don't have to do this."

Loki remained resolved. "...I know," he replied.

"Nobody's gonna think less of you for backing out, okay?"

Several seconds passed before Loki spoke again. "I... I know. Please, I just... want to get on with it..."

But Tony didn't want to get on with it. He didn't want his... boyfriend? Partner? ...anywhere near that son of a bitch again, whether it was his choice or not. And brotherly heart-to-heart or no, Tony couldn't understand why Thor was willing to let Loki go through with it.

After a half-an-hour argument that morning (after Thor had let Loki's request slip), Tony finally relented on one condition: he would escort Loki. It was agreed. Thor would come in behind them to intervene if necessary.

Loki now sat in his wheelchair with a green blanket draped over him, hinding the pink one underneath, and his hair had been meticulously detangled by Steve (and where had the good ol' Captain obtained that skill, Tony wondered). He wore a black t-shirt with black pants, sporting his new pair of shiny, Velcro shoes on his feet.

He look so beautiful and so pitiful at the same time. Tony wanted to just build him his own personal safe room and never let him leave it again. Except that he'd probably escape, crippled or not.

Because he was intelligent, strong, and independent minded. As Steve would say, Tony had finally met his match.

Tony sighed. "Okay- but the millisecond you want to leave, we're outta there. Alright?"

Loki nodded again in response.

"Then... I guess we're off," Tony continued.

Thor seemed to appear as if summoned by a spell, and Tony began to wheel Loki's chair down the hall.

A*A*A*

By the time they reached the floor that Fandral was being kept on, Loki was so rigid that he might as well have been made of stone. As they continued forward, Tony tried hard not to just pick him up and carry him right back to his bed. But this was Loki's choice. He had to remember that.

"Hi, guys," Clint greeted as they entered. "Nat went to get some fresh java, and I was-" He frowned suddenly. "Hey, what's he doing down here?" He gestured to Loki.

"I think he just wants to have a nice, little chat with Mr. Macho," Tony replied.

Clint's brows furrowed. "You think that's a good idea?"

Tony shook his head. "No, but I don't recall being asked."

Clint sighed. "If you say so." He walked over to the glass wall of the "new and improved" Hulk tank and gave it three hard blows with his right fist. "Hey, Asshole!" He shouted. "Ya got visitors!"

Slowly, Fandral approached the glass and stood just inches away from it. His brow furrowed. "Loki," he stated simply. "A visitation from you is most... unexpected."

'Yeah, sure is,' thought Tony.

Loki nodded stiffly. "...Indeed, and don't start entertaining the idea that... it was because I wanted to see you. I merely wish to inform you... that you have failed."

"Really."

It wasn't a question.

Fandral leaned back from the glass for a moment and smirked. "I expected as much from you. You never did take to anyone putting you in your place."

It took everything in Tony's power to remain silent.'His place ain't where you put him, pal.'

"...If that is what you intended... then you have failed twice over."

Fandral's smile dropped. "You know nothing of my intentions. I've failed at nothing."

Loki was unmoved. "...In any case, I've only came to notify you... of your position to me. ...Know that these are the last words... I shall ever speak to you.

'...Any chance you had... you've squandered it. You've made a grave mistake... and it cannot be undone... or made up for. No amount of pining... will change your fate. And if the Norns be merciful... your daughter will never know of you."

And before Fandral could get one word out in protest, Tony whipped Loki's chair around and wheeled him back out of the room as fast as he could.

They made it back to the elevator without Thor and began the ascent back to the penthouse. Tony walked around to face Loki and kneeled down in front of him.

"Babe, that was awesome!" he exclaimed. "You were so-!"

Loki suddenly looked gray.

Tony frowned. "...Snowflake?"

Instead of providing a verbal response, Loki pulled himself ever so slightly forward with his arm and vomited onto his shoes. It wasn't much, but he continued to dry heave several moments after there was nothing left. Tony adjusted to tentatively rub the spot between his shoulder blades.

"It's okay, baby. It's over, alright? You gave him the verbal bird and we're never going to think about him ever again."

Loki nodded as he began to calm down.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Tony stood up and pushed Loki's chair into the penthouse.

"Let's get you cleaned up and back to bed, okay?" Tony said as they proceeded to Loki's rooms.

After a moment, Loki finally replied softly, "...Okay."

A*A*A*

Pepper's heels clacked on the floor as she stepped out of the elevator. And that was really the only sound. It was strangely silent.

"Hello?" she called. "Tony? Hello?"

If she hadn't known better, she'd have said there was no one home.

"Miss Potts, if I may?" Jarvis asked. "Mr. Stark is currently located in the previously unused suite and very little noise is advised when approaching."

Of course.

"Thanks, Jarvis." Pepper removed her shoes and walked in the direction of her old suite.

A*A*A*

By the time they had gotten Loki cleaned and redressed, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep almost as soon as they had gotten him into bed.

Thor had returned nearly half an hour later with the news that he would be returning Fandral to Asgard in hopes that a suitable punishment would be devised, as soon as the next day.

It would've been an understatement to say that everyone was both relieved and filled with apprehension at once.

All said and done, it was about 12:30 in the afternoon.

Steve was fixing lunch, insisting that everyone needed some comfort food after a stressful morning (what a mom). Bruce had gone to check up on some new test results for Loki in his lab. Clint and Natasha were still Evil Asgardian sitting.

That left just Tony and Thor with Loki.

As usual when Loki was doing poorly, Thor was more concerned with holding his baby brother's hand and watching him sleep than starting up a conversation. Tony couldn't take the dismal silence.

"Hey, Thor?" he said quietly.

"Yes?" Thor replied.

Tony scratched at his beard for a moment. "I was just thinking... About something I could for Loki. I want to do this right. So... what does Loki like? Y'know, besides the colour green and sugar."

Thor leaned forward so that his chin rested on his free hand. It was a rather odd pose to see him in. In just jeans and a t-shirt, he was the most human that Tony had ever seen him look.

"Well... I remember that when Loki was small, he very was sickly. While most other Asgardian children seemed to rarely ail, Loki did so almost always. Mother would take him to her garden, a quiet place I seldom visited, and let him lie in the grass with the flowers. She always said that it helped him.

'When Loki grew older, he did not like to spar as I did. He preferred to sit in Mother's garden or the library and read or practice magic or draw or other things one does by one's self. It was fuel for many feuds between us, as I often teased him for it. ...I should not have.

'After... certain things took a turn for the worse, Loki shut himself up in the garden for a long while. He even slept there. I think it helped him a great deal, just to be there.

'I wish now more than ever that I had paid more attention to my brother. I would be able to tell you his favorite flowers, what books he liked to read, his favorite treat... Alas, this is the only information I can provide you. I am sorry, my friend."

"Actually..." Tony began, "that's perfect. I know exactly what I'm going to do now."

Just then, Loki jerked abruptly in his sleep. He continued to stir after, but Tony was only allowed seconds of concern before a familiar voice filled his ears.

"Anthony Edward Stark." The tone did very little to suggest a specific emotion, and that was frightening. "You've been keeping secrets from me."

Tony whipped around to see a semi causally dressed Virginia Potts standing in the door way, with a pair of dress shoes in one hand.

There had been very few times when words had fled from the tongue of Tony Stark, and he was unfortunate enough for this to be one of them. All he could manage to exclaim was: "Pep!"

Pepper leaned on the door frame for a moment. "If you wanted to keep me out, you should've tried a little harder. I have all of your security codes, you know."

"Pep, I... I didn't want to keep you out."

Pepper opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a soft "Brother, no" from Thor.

Tony turned back to see that Loki's eyes were open and his good hand had gotten loose from Thor, outstretched in their direction. Tiny, green fizzles dropped from his fingers and faded when they reached the blanket, which Tony took as a sign that he trying very hard to do something.

Before Tony could blink, Pepper was kneeling in the floor by his side. She reached out her own hand and touched it to Loki's.

Loki put his hand down.

Pepper then smoothed the curls on the top of Loki's head until his eyes closed again.

When she was sure he'd fallen asleep again, she stood up. "Poor baby... Tony, we need to talk."

She walked out the door and Tony- completely unable to process what had just happened- had no choice but to follow. He closed the door as he exited, whispering a goodbye to Thor.

Pepper had sat on the couch. Tony took a chair opposite to her.

"What happened to him, Tony?" She said without delay.

Tony scratched behind his ear absebtly. "See, that's kinda a long story..."

He told her everything, from Thor and Loki's arrival to Bruce's theory of extensive brain damage to his own theory of mind control during the invasion. And if he glossed over some of the more disturbing details, well...

Pepper appeared to be taking it all in fairly easily. (And since when had it ever been this easy to explain anything to her?)

Pepper had felt a twinge of pain in her heart when Tony had told her that he and Loki were entering a relationship, but it disappeared nearly as soon as it had formed. She just hoped it wouldn't turn out to be the wrong decision. Mostly, any pain that she felt was sorrow for Loki and his baby. And some for Thor, too.

"So, Loki is a permanent resident of Earth?" she finally said.

"Well, he sure as hell isn't going back to Asgard and he hasn't tried to murder any of us yet," said Tony. "Not that I think he could..."

"What about the baby's father?"

"Actually, he was in the same room with Loki for the last time this morning. Loki said 'I don't take shit from nobody, fuck you' in typical Loki fashion: with emotions on mute and language that would make Shakespeare proud. Thor's taking him back Space Viking land tomorrow. The baby's bio-dad, I mean. Not Loki. Or Shakespeare."

Tony nearly fell out of his chair when Pepper chuckled.

"Well, that's a relief," she said. "...So, what room are you putting the nursery in? I want to get started."

Tony stared at her incredulously. Were those sad, little sparkles because Loki was putting a spell on her or something?

"...What?" said Tony.

Pepper just smiled. "You didn't really think I would leave this up to you, did you?"

A*A*A

Some gooey cheeseburgers and globs of Mac n' cheese later, Loki was awake and happily watching 'The Flintstones' with Steve and Thor as if that morning had never happened.

And maybe to him, it hadn't.

It had been decided that the nursery would go where Pepper's old office- currently nothing but an empty room- used to be and true to her word, Pepper went right to work. With as strangely excited as she seemed, Tony didn't expect to see her for a while.

Wondering what Bruce was up to, Tony decided to trek down to his science bro's lab. He figured just a little more adventure for the day couldn't hurt.

On his way down, he checked that his appointment with the contractor and the order with the florist had made. He'd done it once already. But double checking was never a bad idea, right?

Nearly five seconds after getting off the elevator on Bruce's floor, he narrowly avoided bowling Bruce over.

After appearing to have reeled himself in from a heart attack, Bruce took a deep breath and said, "Geez, you almost scared me into cardiac arrest. I was just on my way to see you."

"Sorry, Brucey," Tony replied. "...You were on your way to see _me_?"

"Yeah, uh..." He scratched his head for a moment. "Hey, just come back to the lab for a second. It'll be better for me to explain this way anyway."

"Whatever you say, Doc."

Tony followed Bruce back to his lab and they sat down at Bruce's medical desk. Bruce took out some folders and layed them in front of himself.

"I've been going over all of Loki's test results, new and old," Bruce began, "and I've learned some... interesting things. But one that worries the most is this."

He pulled out a large scan of a lower torso. Loki's torso, Tony assumed. He could see a little mass that must be the baby. The scan was from the back, because he had a much better view of the spine than the ribs.

Bruce pointed to a spot on the spine near the very bottom with a pen. "A piece of one of the very last vertebrae," he began explaining in his best 'doctor tone', "appears to have broken off and lodged itself against his spinal cord. Such a break is consistent with flesh wounds in the same area. This break has caused paralysis in both of his legs, but tests show that feeling and muscle control in his lower torso remains."

He sighed and pinched his nose for a moment. "The thing is, if he's ever going to have a chance to walk again- or even just feel an itch on the bottom of his foot- he needs to be assessed and likely operated on by a specialist. I just don't have that level of skill, and surgery of any kind in Loki's condition already runs at a high risk. I know someone that I think can help, but I won't bring anyone in without your consent."

Tony didn't need to do a lot of thinking, really. He wanted his... Loki to have the best chance possible.

"Do you trust this guy, Bruce?" he asked.

"Of course," Bruce replied.

"And he's a good doctor?"

"Absolutely. He may even be the best."

"Then call him up."

A*A*A

"What do you mean, 'there's no information' you can give me?" Fury growled.

"There's... I mean..." The agent rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "The agents in the field haven't sent us anything anything we didn't already know."

"You're telling me that I have two top agents missing, two more with no recollection of anything that happened, highly questionable disturbances in the atmosphere, and you have _nothing_ to report?

"Umm... No sir?"

"Then I suggest you find something, and fast. Or I'll do it myself."

A*A*A

 _The screams were unbearable._

 _They filled his ears until he thought his heart had burst, making him desperate to stop the pain that was causing them._

 _Loki lay next to him, he realized. His face was contorted in utter agony and he clutched Tony's hand as if he would suddenly cease to exist if he let go. The terrible screams were coming from him._

 _"Just a little more, Loki. You can do it." Tony looked towards the foot of the bed to see Bruce. And the blood. So much blood. The blankets were soaked with it. "That's it..."_

 _And there was something strange in Bruce's voice._

 _Loki let loose of Tony's arm suddenly and seemed to collapse into the bed. His screams stopped._

 _And then a shrill, little cry pierced the momentary silence._

 _A small, squirming bundle was placed on Loki's bare chest. It held an itty bitty infant that couldn't have been but just a few inches longer than Tony's hand._

 _Loki was very pale and he trembled when he moved to touch her. He kissed her ghostly blue skin and whispered something to her so softly that Tony couldn't hear what it was._

 _Loki glanced at Tony for a brief moment, and the light in his eyes was a strange mixture of wondrous joy and heart wrenching anguish._

 _His eyes slowly closed_ _and he fell into a stillness, holding the little baby close. Tony waited patiently for him to move again._

 _"Tony..." Someone unfamiliar called his name, with somberness in their voice. "Tony, he's gone..."_

 _No! No!!_

"No!!!" Tony cried out.

Someone was shaking him gently. Another someone gripped his hand.

"Tony! Tony, wake up!"

Tony opened his eyes and found that it was Steve who was shaking him. Loki held his hand.

 _Loki_.

Loki was lying in bed- not propped up- and his face was paler than usual, with deep shadows under his slightly pink eyes. Had he been sleeping? Had Tony woken him up?

But Loki was not covered in blood. His abdomen was still just a tiny swell. He was not screaming in pain.

He was alive.

"Just a dream..." Tony whispered. He didn't remember dozing off, but the last 39 hours without sleep must've finally caught up with him after his talk with Bruce.

"Yeah, it sounded like you were having a pretty bad one," said Steve. "Are you okay? You had us pretty worried for a minute there."

Tony gazed at Loki and smiled, still acknowledging Steve with a nod. "I'm already feeling so much better, thanks."

"Hey, it was nothing. Thor went to talk to Clint and Nat, I'll go find him."

After a moment, Tony heard the door close behind him.

"...I attempted to ...wake you myself," Loki said suddenly, "...but I lacked the strength."

Tony felt his heart turn to mush again. How did Loki manage to keep doing that?

"It's okay, Lokes," Tony replied. "It usually takes the strength of ten men to wake me up. Cap's a special breed, worth about twenty at least."

Loki smiled. "...In physical strength ...and in spirit. ...He is a good friend."

Tony nodded. "Yeah. He's pretty fantastic, huh?" Damn, did Loki look exhausted. "Maybe you should try to catch some shut-eye, Snowflake."

Loki shook his head. "...I find it very unlikely... that I should know rest... with you fresh from... such a harrowing experience." Something strange crossed Loki's features. "Perhaps if... if you would lie close to me... then I would better find sleep?"

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Loki... I can't-" he began.

Loki half-heartedly scowled. "...Anthony, I asked you to... lie next to me... Not lie with me. ...There is a difference. You would be my version... of your Midgardian 'teddy bear', of sorts."

Tony exhaled forcefully. "Well... Okay."

Normally, this would be the part where Tony started to get excited. But with Loki, that just felt wrong.

Loki was lying on one side of his queen sized bed like always, leaving two thirds of the bed empty. Tony walked to the empty side and crawled in carefully.

As soon as he had curled up on his side next to Loki, he felt Loki's skeletal arm slip under his neck and around his shoulders- which drew him very close. He was about to protest, worried about crushing Loki's frail bones, when he saw that Loki's eyes were closed and his expression was peaceful.

It wasn't until after he'd closed his own eyes that he felt Loki sneak a kiss to his forehead.

When Steve and Thor came back and expressed their desire for a camera, Loki really was asleep and Tony stayed silent.

And if, when Loki later awoke and Tony relayed the conversation to him, Steve's shield mysteriously became the new centerpiece for the dining room table and suddenly all Thor had to wear was pink pyjamas...

Well, it wasn't Tony's idea.

A*A*A

"Have you yet had enough time to _think_ , King?"

"No. Not yet, I... Every proposition has only disastrous consequences."

"For you, or the traitor? Only _it_ and it's offspring need survive, for they are instrumental to our plans. Nothing else matters."

"But what of-"

"You know of our agreement: your realm will be spared the flames in exchange for _it_ and a living product of it. Your greatest opportunity for success failed, along with every attempt since. And since it would seem that frostgiant runts are prone to complications, this could be your last chance. Make a wise decision."

A*A*A

 _Sooo... What did you think?_

 _How is Fandral reacting to Loki's visit? What's Tony doing for Loki? What's with Pepper? Who's the doctor Bruce was talking about? Is Fury coming? Why did Tony have that dream? Since when is Loki a cuddle monster? What are the baddies up to? And why am I asking you all these questions? O_O_


	20. Chapter 20

_Well, um... Let me start of, first of all, with letting you how very regretful I am that I've let this go so long. I never intended for that to happen. But please know that I absolutely *live* for this story, and I'm very grateful to have continued to receive wonderful kudos and comments during my absence._

 _Which brings me to why I was absent. During my eight or so months of hiatus: I moved, my work place caught fire, my illness got worse, my illness got better, I was hit by an irate driver, an air bag deployed incorrectly and hit me in the face, I lost feeling in my jaw, I gained it back, I lost 75% of my hearing in one ear, I gained 40% back, I adopted a rescue kitten (who likes water and is now best friends with my dog), and I'm currently recovering from walking pneumonia. It's been a wild ride._

 _But never let it be said that I would not persevere. I made it. This fandom helped. :^)_

 _(Long winded, I know.)_

 _Now, about this chapter... This first part is just... weird. I worked it and reworked it and worked it again. It didn't turn out any better. But the future of the story needs it, so... *shrugs*_

 _There's some crazy surprises in this chapter, so watch out!_

 _And now, ladies and gentle-fish: chapter 20._

*A*A*A*

Never before had Tony had to decide if he really needed his morning coffee. He rarely slept for longer than a few hours- and if he did, he never woke feeling particularly refreshed.

But today...

"Morning, Cap!" Tony said as he strided into the kitchen. "Have you seen the weather yet? It's gonna be fantastic!"

Steve spun around and stared at Tony with a furrowed brow, holding a spatula in his hand. "Uh... It's a pretty nice day for mid-November, I guess. ...If you don't mind my asking, what the heck happened to you?"

Tony shook his head and poured himself a cup of coffee, for the sake of habit if nothing else. "I don't know, but I feel great! It's like my biological processes went in reverse 20 years!"

"Uh... I'm not so sure it didn't."

It was Tony's turn to frown in confusion. "...What are you talking about?"

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?"

Tony shook his head and gave a small chuckle. "I usually try not to do that first thing in the morning, so no."

"Well, maybe you-"

But Steve was cut off by Clint's loud voice as he rounded the corner. "Hey, can someone explain why there's a construction crew on the roof and the lounge looks like an enchanted forest? When Jarvis said the florist was here, I was expecting a Christmas tree, not 25 different-! ...kinds ...of ...flowers."

Clint stopped directly in front of Tony and stared at him incredulously. "...What the fuck happened to you?"

Tony held up his hand. "Okay, first off? Back up a foot. Second, there's actually 31 different species of plants residing temporarily in the lounge, and what I'm doing with them is for me to know and you to find out. And third, if you and Steve are in cahoots to try to weird me out for revenge or something: nice try."

Something bitter assaulted his nostrils and he scrunched his nose in response. "I think your pancake's burning, Cap.

"What?!" Steve whirled back around and promptly removed his pan from the burner.

While Steve was busy at the stove, Clint reached into the nearest cabinet and pulled out a silver serving plate (probably from one of those stuffy gala dinners). He handed it to Tony and said simply, "Look."

Tony held the plate in both hands, although disgruntledly. "Katniss, you know I don't like to be handed things," he said. Then he looked down at it.

"Holy shit!" Tony cried, dropping the platter to the floor. It clattered on the tile and he reached down to pick it up, staring into it.

Looking back him was not the same face he'd seen while brushing his teeth the night before.

The first thing he noticed was that his skin was almost completely smooth: nearly every wrinkle was gone and the few scars that had previously marred his face had been erased. His head didn't sport a single gray hair. Even the deep shadows under his eyes- a product of years of improper sleep- had mostly vanished.

"Oh my god, I'm thirty again!" Tony cried.

In all aspects, he did appear to be thirty again. Only, in his opinion, better.

Before anyone could further react, Jarvis cooly announced, "Sir, Mr. Laufeyson has awoken and is asking for you."

"I'll be right there," Tony replied, all but waltzing out of the kitchen.

"That's it?!" he heard Clint exclaim.

"You're just jealous, Birdbrain!" Tony called back.

In all honesty, he didn't know how to feel about the situation. But he couldn't call himself a genius if he couldn't formulate at least one guess as to why he seemed to have mysteriously de-aged in the middle of the night.

And if that "formulated guess" happened to have bright green eyes, well...

When Tony entered Loki's room, Loki had not sat up yet, but his eyes flicked over in Tony's direction and landed on him immediately. A smile seemed to bloom across his entire face, like a lit lamp flooding a dark room.

Tony smiled too; he couldn't help it if Loki's radiant grins were contagious.

"Oh dear..." Loki breathed. "I'm still dreaming... It's a marvelous dream, though... I almost wish... I could dream it forever..."

Tony's brow furrowed a little, but he still smiled. He sat down next to Loki and took his hand. "Snowflake, I gotta break some news to you: you're awake."

Loki shook his head slightly. "No, I can't be... You are Anthony, but... you are the Anthony of another time... How I wish I'd met you... in that time. Perhaps I would not have... ended up like this. My own mind is cruel... to play such tricks on me."

Tony rubbed gentle circles around Loki's knuckles with his thumb. "Lokes... I hate that you're in pain. It hurts me too, just watching you. If going back in time could change this- and if I, y'know, had a time machine- I'd go back as far as it took to fix everything. But please understand: you're not dreaming. I have absolutely no idea what happened- and believe me, I'd like to know- but somehow... well, I'm thirty years old again! Just like that."

The smile completely slipped away from Loki's face, taking what little colour there was to his skin with it. He stared at Tony for a moment, a smirk trying and failing to afix itself. "...You jest."

Tony could practically see the gears turning in Loki's brain, and he didn't like it one bit. "Loki..." he started. "Snowflake, I-"

No." Loki had begun to tremble, and it took everything Tony had not to physically flail in panic. It wouldn't help. "Do not try to spare me... You cannot possibly be happy with this... Well, how could you be? I did not... I did not ask you what you wanted! I did not... I have wished to improve your wellness... as you help with mine, but... It seems that just dreaming now effects my spell casting... And I have... I have altered you without your permission! I cannot... I just... I don't..."

If Loki's mind had been one of Tony's computer programs, this would have been about the time that the system would have told him there was a critical error and the program had stopped.

Loki's face was red, twisted in frustration. His eyes were bright with barely contained tears and he appeared to be in the beginning stages of heaving.

Tony was at a loss. Desperate to remedy the situation, he offered quickly, "But it's okay! I like what you've done! Sure, it's kind of a shock! But I've never felt better! Loki, you've made me better!"

As soon as he'd opened his mouth though, he knew his words were falling on deaf ears. The problem, as Loki understood it, was not with Tony: it was with himself.

"Loki!" Tony cried. "Sweetheart, listen to me! You did not make a mistake! Do you hear me? You did not make a mistake!"

He was only getting worse.

"Loki, please! You're hurting yourself!"

He was to the point of seizing. There was only one thing left that Tony could do.

"Loki, the baby!"

And those were the magic words.

Loki deflated faster than a popped balloon. And began to sob.

Tony wrapped him in a gentle hug. To his surprise, Loki reciprocated as best he could. He buried his face in Tony's shoulder, hot tears soaking his shirt.

"...I'm-so-sorry...' Loki choked.

"It's okay, Snowflake," Tony said softly. "It's okay."

Suddenly, Tony had an idea. "And, as a matter of fact..."

Loki gazed up at him. "...What?"

"Loki, it's better than okay. It's so much better than okay. And I want to show you that. So, I want to take you out. It'll be romantic, and all about you. If you say yes, of course."

This earned a small smile. It made Tony want to dance for joy. "...Even without your splendid grandeur... I would be a bigger fool than Thor... to say 'no'..."

Tony grinned. "Then it's a date."

* _A_ *A* _A_ *

Hello, Tony."

Tony started up immediately. He'd been so engrossed in editing plans for the contractor building Loki's surprise that he hadn't heard anyone approach. He found himself suddenly face to face with the last person he expected:

Natasha Romanov.

"Uh, hi?" He replied, in what he hoped didn't come off as a nervous way.

"How's Loki?" Natasha asked, seeming to ignore Tony's frightened response to her presence.

Tony took this simple question a cue to resume his usual social attitude. "He's doing pretty okay today. This morning was almost a set back, but I think he did a good job shaking it off. Or at the very least, pretending he shook it off. Not being in control of himself really freaks him out, but who wouldn't be freaked out? All in all, I think he's handling this whole situation pretty well.

'He's had about five naps today, and ate three quarters of a bowl of chicken and noodles- which is a triumph, honestly. Right now, Cap's teaching him how to play Aggravation. ...Why do you ask?"

"Well... I stole a working SHEILD communication device, as mine's been disconnected. They're becoming more and more irresolute. We need a plan to protect Loki."

Natasha always dove straight to the point.

"And preferably keep other operatives as far away from here as possible, I suppose." Tony sighed. "Give me a minute..."

"We need to diffuse the situation as quickly and as efficiently as possible, but it's not as if we can simply introduce him and just say, 'Oh, remenber him? It turns out he's not evil after all.'"

Tony suddnly grinned. "Actually..."

* _A_ *A* _A_ *

"You want to WHAT?!" Cap cried.

"I want to introduce Lokes to the public," Tony replied.

"Tony, I don't think-"

"Just think about it for a second: we give him a human identity. We'll get him a birth certificate, medical records, the whole nine yards. Jarvis can hack anything, it'll be a walk in the park. We'll give a tragic backstory to the press, get a few pictures... We'll change his hair a little, put him in a holiday sweater, have him sit in his wheelchair with all of his equipment... He's already sweet and pitiful, and I'm sure he can play it up a little more for a conference. The world will be putty in our hands."

"But what about the baby? He's already starting to show."

It only took Tony mere seconds to come up with an answer. "That's easy, Cap. We just tell it like it is. ...Well, with a twist. Let me worry about that, I've got it covered. Right now, we need your help keeping up the charade. Loki needs your help. I know lying to millions of people to protect a war criminal doesn't exactly line up with your super righteous moral code, but-"

"Shut up, Tony. I'll do it."

* _A_ *A* _A_ *  
Thor exited the palace, feeling as though a block of lead had lodged it's self in his heart.

This wouldn't be the end. He hadn't a doubt that Fandral would not face a real punishment of any kind. But he knew that if his brother's attacker, his former friend, had not had enough and came back for more' it would be his right to exert justice himself. He didn't want it to come to that; it broke his heart, he'd never wanted anything less. But if it did...

He knew right in that instant that, no matter what other feelings clawed their way into his heart, he would do whatever was necessary for his brother. Because nothing else mattered to him more than Loki's life. Not even his own.

There were just certain rules that had to be adhered to. Upholding Asgardian law would keep as much peace between him and the all-father as possible. If Thor did not do this, Odin would not feel obligated to leave Loki alone for the time being. He would simply do as he pleased.

This mutual contract of respect might be all that was keeping Loki and his unborn babe in safety, and Thor could not risk destroying it.

Therefore, all he could do now was wait.

Thor took his last step off the grand stair and positioned himself for his flight back to the Bifrost. Suddenly, he felt a cool breeze on his cheek and a hand lightly rest on his forearm. Before he could blink, he'd been gently pulled under the shadow of a great tree, shielded from the light of the golden sun. He whirled around and found himself gazing at a face so familiar- and yet so not- that he had to do a double take.

The figure was fair skinned and slender, towering impossible inches above him. A mop of long, black hair was pinned up neatly with one lock hanging loose. A sharp featured visage that was strangely beautiful. Large eyes as green as the sea.

Long fingers with nails painted black moved in a graceful motion so quick that Thor almost missed it. They seemed to produce a shimmer, nothing more.

"Forgive me, your highness," said the figure, in a liting tenor voice soothing to Thor's ears. "I feared being overheard."

Thor was aghast. "Who... Wh-"

The figure's head shook calmly, cutting Thor off. "I know we've never met, and a day shall not pass where I don't lament that. I've been forced to keep my distance, for everyone's sake. But the time has come when I just couldn't stand back any longer."

Thor's confusion didn't lessen, and he figured it must have shown on his face.

The figure sighed. "I apologize for being so indeterminate with you. Allow me to be blunt, then: my name is Farbauti and I am an exhile of Jotunheim. My only child, who has been separated from me since birth, was rescued from a cruel fate by you and taken to Midgard. I had intended to be silent after playing my part in his escort from here, but... I beg of you, please take me to him."

Thor found his mouth opening and closing like a fish. His mind was in a war with his senses. This couldn't be true.

And yet, he knew that it was.

This was Loki's mother.

* _A_ *A* _A_ *

"Sir, I've decrypted those memos from Stark Tower's front desk reception."

The young man placed a few documents on his superior's desk. Warm eyes studied the words closely.

"Shall I send them on, sir?"

"Thank you, but..." He glanced over the papers once more. "...I'd prefer to deliver these myself. Don't worry, I'll be sure to commemorate your work."

The young man smiled. "Thank you, sir."

After he had made his departure, a worn hand picked up the phone. "Yes, I'd to speak to Mr. Stark please. ...Yes, I know he's not in, but it's urgent. ...Yes, I'll wait. ...Who's calling?"

He glanced down and contemplated what to say. Well, there was no backing down now.

"Tell him Phil needs a word."

*A*A*A*

 _As always, what'd you think? O_O_


End file.
